Two powerful earthquakes struck the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on September 26, 2003, injuring more than 400 people.

The quake, which hit at about 4:50 am local time on a Friday, sparked off a fi re at an oil depot, shook buildings and derailed a train. The main tremor measured 8.3 on the Richter scale, making it the strongest quake in the world in 2003; it was followed by two slightly smaller aftershocks. More than 400 people were reported injured, and more than 40,000 people were evacuated. However, experts said the damage was slight relative to its intensity because it struck far offshore and was strongest in under-populated areas. Read More.