At least four killed, over 300 injured after powerful earthquake hits Osaka, Japan

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At least four people are confirmed dead, and more than 300 others injured after a powerful earthquake hit Japan’s Osaka Prefecture at 7:58 a.m. local time (2258 GMT) on Monday, local media reported.

The earthquake, measured at a magnitude of 5.3 by the United States Geological Survey, was centered in northern Osaka Prefecture with a depth of 15.4 kilometers.

A shop employee clears broken bottles following an earthquake in Osaka, Japan on June 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Japan Meteorological Agency put the magnitude at 5.9 at first, and later upgraded it to 6.1.

The jolt was also felt in the nearby prefectures of Hyogo, Kyoto, Shiga and Nara.

Passengers on a train walk along a railroad track following an earthquake in Osaka, June 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

A nine-year-old girl was confirmed dead after being trapped by a damaged wall in a swimming facility north of Osaka city, while a man in his 80s was killed after being crushed by a bookshelf at his home, the Japan Times reported citing the Osaka Prefectural government. NHK reported that another victim, an 80-year-old man, died after being hit by collapsed walls.

A station employee (L) announces an entry restriction into a railway Station in Osaka, June 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

More than 170,000 homes in Osaka and neighboring Hyogo prefectures suffered power outages following the earthquake, with 100,000 others suffering gas outages. The Shinkansen bullet train and local train services have partially stopped, as well as three airports in the region, local media reported citing officials.

Photos from local media show cracked pipes spilling water onto roads and multiple fires occurring as a result of the earthquake.

Smoke rises from a house where a fire breaks out, in Takatsuki, Osaka prefecture, western Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo, June 18, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) fighter jets and helicopters have been deployed to the area to investigate the scene, government officials said.

Multiple small aftershocks followed, and an official from Japan's meteorological agency warned residents to remain on guard.

NHK reported that all 15 nuclear reactors have been checked and no problems have been found, while no tsunami warning has been issued.

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