On Monday 18 June, the western city of Osaka in Japan was shaken during the morning rush hour, with subway and bullet train services suspended. A nine-year-old girl is among three people to have died following a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in and around Osaka.(as of 18 June)
Local officials confirmed the death toll, which included two men in their 80s, after the area was hit shortly after 8am local time on Monday.
The quake caused water mains to burst, wall to topple and number of fires to break out, with more than 260 people reported to have been injured.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tremor was at its strongest just north of Osaka, with an initial recording of 5.9 at a depth of 13km. It disrupted the morning commute for thousands of people, including those outside the city, with bullet train and subway services suspended while they were checked for damage.
(Source from Sky news in the UK; as of Monday 18 June 2018)
*bullet train 新幹線
*suspended 中断された、止まった
*topple 倒壊する
*Meteorological Agency 気象庁
*tremor 揺れ
６月１８日月曜日、大阪地方を襲ったマグニチュード6.1の大規模な地震は９歳の女の子を含む３人の命を奪い、朝のラッシュ時の交通手段を遮断した。（６月１８日時点）
当局によるとこの地震ににより犠牲になったのは８０代の男性２人を含む３名と確認された。また、水道管が破裂するなどしたほか、ブロック塀などが倒壊したり、火災が発生するなど被害は拡大し、負傷者の数は約２６０人にのぼった。気象庁の発表によると地震の規模は北部大阪では観測史上最も大きく初期値ではマグニチュード5.9、震源の深さは13㎞だった。（その後マグニチュード6.1に修正）
通勤通学の手段を失った人は数千人にのぼり、新幹線や地下鉄は被害の確認が終わるまで全線運行見合わせとなった。
（Sky news 6/18, 2018)
Harumi Miyahara