Japan earthquake injures at least 37 near Tokyo

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near Tokyo early Sunday, injuring at least 37 people and disrupting regional train services, Japanese authorities said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake hit the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at 2:00 am, at a depth of 68 kilometres. It said there was no concern about a tsunami. The United States Geological Survey estimated the quake at magnitude 5.8.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least 37 people had minor injuries. Local government and media reports said one of the more serious cases involved a woman in her 80s in Yokohama who fell and hurt her hip after trying to leave her bed.

East Japan Railway Company said regional train services in Tokyo were disrupted on Sunday morning. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said a building in Saitama, north of Tokyo, had minor damage.

Kyodo News said authorities were investigating whether a ruptured water main in Tokyo was related to the quake.

The weather agency warned of a higher landslide risk because the quake may have loosened soil in areas hit by torrential rain on Saturday. It also warned that strong aftershocks were possible in the coming days.