3 Dead, Over 300 Injured as M6.1 Quake Hits Osaka Area

OSAKA, Japan -June 18: A powerful earthquake hit Osaka and other parts of Japan's second-largest metropolitan area Monday morning, leaving at least three people dead and more than 300 injured as concrete walls around buildings crumbled, water pipes burst and power was cut off. The magnitude-6.1 temblor, which occurred in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture during commuting hours, was one of the largest the area has experienced since the 1995 Hanshin quake that claimed thousands of lives. Near an elementary school in the city of Takatsuki, a 9-year-old girl died when about 40 meters of a concrete wall surrounding the school's swimming pool collapsed. The girl, Rina Miyake, was on her way to school when she was caught in the collapse. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the agency warned that another strong quake could jolt the Osaka region within a week but dismissed concerns that Monday's temblor could imminently trigger a megaquake that is projected to occur in the future off western Japan and cause massive tsunami.