TOKYO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Osaka Prefecture in western Japan continues to be rattled by tremors in the wake of a powerful quake of 6.1 magnitude that struck the region a day earlier.
The quake has killed five people and injured hundreds of others so far, local officials said Tuesday.
The fifth fatality as a result of the powerful quake was confirmed by local police as a 66-year-old man was found dead at his home in the hard-hit city of Takatsuki in Osaka Prefecture.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), dozens of aftershocks have continued throughout Tuesday, with a significant tremor hitting again in the early hours of Tuesday morning and jolting the entire region again.
The aftershocks made an uncomfortable night for the some 1,700 people who were forced to spend Monday night in emergency evacuation centers, local Osaka government officials said.
The number of evacuees, as of Tuesday evening, stood at more than 1,000 people, according to local authorities.
Due to the continued seismic activity and heavy rainfall which is expected to hit the affected region through Wednesday, the JMA has, in an unprecedented move, deployed its emergency task-force to Osaka and nearby areas to help with recovery efforts and prevent secondary damage.
"Frequent seismic activity is continuing in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. Strong tremors could have raised the risk of landslides or building collapse. People in such areas are advised to watch out for further seismic activity and rain," the JMA said in an earlier statement on the issue.
Around 110,000 homes in the quake-hit region remain without gas, according to Osaka Gas Co., which said that gas supply will remain suspended until next Monday.
As a result, shoppers have been flocking to supermarkets and convenience stores to stock up on bread and food that can be microwaved, local media reported Tuesday.
In some parts of the hard-hit cities of Takatsuki and Minoo, hundreds of homes also remain without water.
Local authorities have dispatched water trucks to help with the water shortage in these areas, local officials said.
More than 380 people have been injured as a result of the powerful temblor and at least 470 houses have been damaged across four prefectures by the quake, the government said Tuesday.
One of the lives lost in the quake was 9-year-old Rina Miyake who was on her way to school when the quake struck at 7:58 a.m. local time on Monday.
Due to the quake's shallow origin, the intensity was violent enough to bring down the outer wall of Miyake's school swimming pool and crush the young girl to death.
A police investigation has been launched into the girl's death as there are suspicions that the wall did not meet safety standards, meaning the girl's death could have been a result of negligence.
An education ministry official said after investigating the scene of the fatal accident, the concrete wall may have contained reinforced steel that was too short to properly connect the concrete-block wall to its foundations.
