Magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off northern Japan, no tsunami threat
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Iwate prefecture in northern Japan on Thursday morning. Authorities said there was no tsunami danger and no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The quake
A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 occurred off the eastern coast of Iwate, northern Honshu, at 7:30 a.m. local time on Thursday (23:30 Wednesday UTC). The Japan Meteorological Agency located the epicentre offshore at a depth of about 50 kilometres (30 miles). The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre also reported the event. Tremors were felt as far away as Tokyo during the morning rush hour.
Tsunami and damage
No tsunami warning was issued. The Japan Meteorological Agency explicitly stated there was no danger of a tsunami, though one Portuguese-language report noted that authorities cautioned about possible tidal changes. As of the latest updates, there were no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage.
Seismic context
The affected area has experienced repeated strong earthquakes in recent months, according to the Associated Press. Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is one of the world's most seismically active countries. Thursday's quake, while strong, did not trigger the kind of alerts or destruction seen in past events along the Japan Trench.
