5.4-magnitude earthquake rattles southwestern Japan islands amid evacuation efforts

TOKYO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck off the Tokara island chain in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Sunday, as more people evacuated from the area that has been rattled by a series of temblors.

The quake, which occurred at 2:07 p.m. local time, measured upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 on Akusekijima, part of the Tokara island chain, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The weather agency said the temblor originated at a depth of 20 km, but there is no threat of a tsunami.

The number of felt quakes detected in the Tokara island chain area has exceeded 1,300 since June 21. Evacuation of islanders began after a quake with a magnitude of 5.5 that measured lower 6 of the Japanese scale was logged on Thursday, Kyodo News reported.

On Sunday morning, a total of 46 residents of Akusekijima and Kodakarajima in the Tokara island chain boarded a ferry, the second batch of evacuees to leave for Kagoshima City on the closest main island of Kyushu, following 13 residents of Akusekijima who evacuated on Friday, the report said. Enditem