3 dead as strong earthquake hits Japan's Osaka; factories stop operations

Japanese media including public broadcaster NHK said collapsing walls had killed an 80-year-old man and a 9-year-old girl

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Osaka, Japan's second-biggest metropolis, early on Monday morning, killing three people, halting factory lines in a key industrial area and bursting water mains, government officials and broadcaster NHK said.

No tsunami warning was issued. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said authorities were assessing damage and that its top priority was the safety of residents.

Live footage showed burst water mains and a house on fire after the quake hit Osaka, which will host next year's Group of 20 summit, just before 8 am (2300 GMT Sunday) as commuters were heading to work.

The epicentre of the earthquake was just