Japan earthquake kills three people, injures hundreds

A strong earthquake in Osaka, Japan has killed at least three people, including a child, and has injured more than 200.

The earthquake, causing scattered damage including broken glass an partial building collapses, struck at around 8am local time. The 6.1 magnitude quake did not trigger a tsunami warning and nuclear plants in the area are still operating normally.  Japan lies in a particularly earthquake-prone region and accounts for around 20% of quakes worldwide of magnitude 6.0 or more.

A nine-year-old girl killed by a falling wall at her school was one of three confirmed fatalities.

The trains had to be stopped and evacuated.

An elderly man was also killed by a collapsing wall while another was trapped below a bookcase at home, national broadcaster NHK reported.

Several people were trapped in elevators and roads were cracked with broken pipes spilling water.

Some 170,000 houses were left without power and gas supplies to more than 100,000 homes were stopped, the Japan Times reported.

Both the high-speed Shinkansen and local trains suspended operations during the morning commuting hours.

The quake also affected the cities of Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo, and Shiga.

The meteorological agency warned the quake might be followed by another big tremor in the coming days.