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Earthquake Strikes Central Japan Near Niigata
Area (Update1)

By Mariko Yasu

July 16 (Bloomberg) -- A strong earthquake struck central Japan
near Niigata, triggering a tsunami warning and suspending
bullet-train operations. There were no immediate reports of
injuries.

The magnitude 6.6 quake centered on the Japan Sea coast, the
Japan Meteorological Agency said on its Web site. A tsunami advisory
was issued, the agency said. The quake's epicenter is about 250
kilometers (155 miles) northwest of Tokyo, where buildings swayed
for several minutes.

The quake caused power failures, forcing East Japan Railway Co.
to halt Shinkansen train services, Kyodo News reported. The U.S.
Geological Survey describes magnitude 6 to 6.9 earthquakes as
strong.

The Niigata area was hit by a destructive earthquake in October
2004 that killed at least 33 people and injured 2,900. The quake
forced East Japan Railway to shut a section of the Joetsu
bullet-train line, which connects Tokyo and Niigata, for two months
and damaged a semiconductor plant in the area operated by Sanyo
Electric Co.

Japan, one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, is
located in a zone where the Eurasian, Pacific, Philippine and North
American tectonic plates meet and occasionally shift, causing
quakes. Quakes of magnitude 5 and more can cause considerable
damage.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mariko Yasu in Tokyo at
[email-masked]

Last Updated: July 15, 2007 22:33 EDT

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