Sri Lanka, July 7 -- Dozens of residents have evacuated remote islands in southern Japan that have been shaken by nearly 1,600 quakes in recent weeks, the local mayor said Monday (Jul 7).

There has been no major physical damage on hardest-hit Akuseki island, even after a 5.1-magnitude quake that struck overnight, said Genichiro Kubo, who is based on another island.

But the almost non-stop jolts since Jun 21 have caused severe stress to area residents, many of whom have been deprived of sleep.

Of the 89 residents of Akuseki, 44 had evacuated to the regional hub of Kagoshima by Sunday, while 15 others also left another island nearby, Kubo told a news conference.

The municipality, which comprises seven inhabited and five uninhabited isla...