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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Powerful quake hits north Japan | Powerful quake hits north Japan |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Dozens of people have been injured as a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 hit Japan's northern island of Honshu. | |
| The quake's epicentre was very deep, but it still caused damage to buildings and left thousands without power. | The quake's epicentre was very deep, but it still caused damage to buildings and left thousands without power. |
| A number of cars were buried in a landslide, local television said, and reports suggested as many as 56 people were injured. | A number of cars were buried in a landslide, local television said, and reports suggested as many as 56 people were injured. |
| The tremor also caused traffic disruption, with motorways closed and train services cancelled. | The tremor also caused traffic disruption, with motorways closed and train services cancelled. |
| Hundreds of people were trapped in stranded trains, reports said. | Hundreds of people were trapped in stranded trains, reports said. |
| The earthquake, which struck at 0030 local time (1530GMT) on Thursday, was centred 120km (75 miles) underground, in the Iwate prefecture near Morioka, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. | The earthquake, which struck at 0030 local time (1530GMT) on Thursday, was centred 120km (75 miles) underground, in the Iwate prefecture near Morioka, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. |
| The agency said there was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, which was felt as far away as Tokyo, some 500km (310 miles) to the south. | The agency said there was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, which was felt as far away as Tokyo, some 500km (310 miles) to the south. |
| Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called on officials to "do their best" to rescue anyone trapped by the earthquake. | Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called on officials to "do their best" to rescue anyone trapped by the earthquake. |
| Emergency officials were deployed to the area as military planes flew over the worst-hit region in an attempt to assess the extent of the damage. | Emergency officials were deployed to the area as military planes flew over the worst-hit region in an attempt to assess the extent of the damage. |
| Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries and experiences thousands of tremors each year. | Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries and experiences thousands of tremors each year. |