A strong earthquake shook central Japan on Saturday night injuring dozens of people and destroying homes in a wellknown ski resort authorities said Reports differed on the intensity of the quake centered in a remote mountainous area of Nagano prefecture The Japan Meteorological Agency reported it was magnitude 68 the US Geological Survey LRB USGS RRB said it was magnitude 62 One of the hardest hit areas was the skiing village of Hakuba where at least seven housing and storage structures collapsed Seven of the 39 people hurt in the quake suffered serious injuries Nagano prefectural police said Japanese television stations carried images of landslides that had cut off roads and railroads as well as flattened houses and warped highways More than 300 rescue workers were deployed to search for people trapped in collapsed homes Authorities said the rescue operation was completed No electric facilities including nuclear power plants were damaged the Tokyo Electric Power Co said via Twitter Saturday Aftershocks followed the main quake Saturday night including one measured at magnitude 41 the Japan Meteorological Agency said 