Japan islanders sleepless after 900 earthquakes in two weeks
More than 900 earthquakes have shaken a remote and sparsely populated island chain in southern Japan over two weeks, keeping residents anxious and awake all night. Seismic activity has been "very active" in the seas around the Tokara islands since 21 June, authorities said after a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck on Wednesday. There have been no reports of damage and no tsunami warning has been raised but authorities have advised residents to prepare to evacuate if needed. "It's very scary to even fall asleep," one resident told the regional broadcaster MBC. "It feels like it's always shaking." The Tokara area has experienced clusters of earthquakes in the past but the frequency of the most recent tremors has been unusual, according to local media. Japan is one of the most seismically active nations on Earth, owing to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where many tectonic plates meet. It experiences about 1,500 earthquakes each year. About 700 people live on seven of the 12 Tokara islands. There are no hospitals on some of these far-flung islands - the nearest is at least six hours by ferry to the prefectural capital, Kagoshima. Follow link for full story...