Tokyo, May 6 (IANS): One person was confirmed dead and 22 injured after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's central prefecture of Ishikawa and surrounding areas on Friday, local authorities reported.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the powerful temblor occurred at 2:42 p.m. local time, at a depth of 12 km, registering an upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the city of Suzu, located at the tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, Xinhua news agency reported.

A 65-year-old man fell from a ladder in Suzu and was later confirmed dead, according to local police, while the fire department reported that three houses had collapsed and that two people who had been trapped in two of the structures had been rescued.

Local authorities also said that 22 people have been injured and some buildings collapsed.

A series of strong aftershocks continued, with a 5.8-magnitude quake also hitting the Noto Peninsula area at 9:58 p.m. local time, according to the JMA.

The weather agency warned of the possibility of quakes around the upper 6 level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale for about a week in the area.