The National Fire Agency said it had confirmed eight cases of minor property damage so far in Buan and the neighboring city of Iksan, including cracks in the walls of homes and warehouses.
 "Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hits South Korea, cracks in walls, minor damage")
No injuries were reported as of Wednesday morning | (Representative image, photo credit: Shutterstock)AP Seoul
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck a fishing village in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday, causing minor damage including cracks in walls and goods spilling off store shelves, but no injuries were reported.
The earthquake that hit Buan had an estimated epicenter at a depth of eight kilometers and was the strongest recorded in South Korea this year.
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The National Fire Agency said eight cases of minor property damage had been confirmed so far in Buan and the nearby city of Iksan, including cracks in the walls of homes and warehouses, at least two wall tiles and at least one broken window pane, and the storm was strong enough to cause items to fall off store shelves.
Cho Yu-jin, a fire official in North Chungcheong province, said authorities had received about 80 calls from local residents who felt the tremor. The National Fire Agency said it had received more than 200 similar calls from residents in other areas, including 38 in central North Chungcheong province and seven in the capital Seoul.
There were no reports of injuries as of Wednesday morning.
Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, South Korea's No. 2 after President Yoon Seok-yeo, ordered authorities to prepare for possible aftershocks, ensure the safe evacuation of residents and protect key infrastructure such as power plants and transport networks.
The Korea Nuclear Safety Commission assessed that the earthquake did not affect the safety of the country's nuclear power plants and said emergency inspections had found no abnormalities.
