Powerful Earthquake Jolts Japan, No Damage To Nuclear Facilities Reported

A strong earthquake in western Japan rattled people awake as dawn broke Saturday, injuring at least two dozen people.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake as magnitude 6.0, but later revised its reading to magnitude 5.8. The Japan Meteorological Agency ranked the quake at 6.0, but later revised their measurement to 6.3, according to Japan Today.

The quake was fairly shallow but reports of the depth were not consistent. The USGS reported a depth of 5km (3.1 miles) but the Japan Meteorological Agency registered the quake at 15km (9.3 miles) deep.

At least 24 people were injured and there was some damage to residential property. No fatalities were reported and there was no threat of tsunami.

The quake's epicenter was near Awaji Island in in the western Japan's Seto inland sea, not far from Kobe and Osaka.

On Earthquake-Report.com people posted reports of swaying buildings and shaking that lasted up to one minute.

Reuters reported the Ikata nuclear power station near the epicenter was not affected. Separate reports indicate no damage to the country's other nearby reactors.

Among the injured were an 82-year-old woman who suffered a broken leg and a 74-year-old with a broken hip, Japan Today reported.

It was one of the strongest earthquakes to strike the area in decades. A 1995 quake in Hyogo prefecture destroyed the port city of Kobe and killed 6,000.