Quakes persist in Japan's southwest islands, delay evacuees' return
Earthquakes continue to rattle small islands in southwestern Japan, with the number of "felt quakes" detected in the area exceeding 2,000 since June 21, the weather agency said Monday, Kyodo reports.
Over 60 residents from the islands of Akuseki and Kodakara in the Tokara chain have evacuated. They left in early July after a temblor with a magnitude of 5.5, measuring lower 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7, hit the area.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, temblors logging 4 on the scale jolted the area four times on Sunday and at least once on Monday.
A quake with an intensity of 4 is defined as a situation where it is felt by most people walking.
Local authorities plan to start accommodating requests from evacuees to return to their homes only when there are five straight days without a quake measuring 4 or above.
As written before, dozens more evacuate from southwestern Japan islands amid quakes.
