Magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocks islands of Japan

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hits Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, causing tremors felt in nearby prefectures, but with no immediate reports of casualties or infrastructure damage

A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean, located south of Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday.

The quake, which occurred at 5:36 p.m. local time (0836 GMT), did not result in any immediate reports of casualties or damage to infrastructure, as confirmed by Japan’s meteorological agency.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the temblor struck at a depth of 540 km and registered a magnitude 3 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in certain parts of the prefecture. The earthquake’s epicenter was situated off the island’s west coast, approximately 875 km south of Tokyo, at coordinates 27.9 degrees north latitude and 140.0 degrees east longitude.

Reports from Kyodo News indicate that tremors from the earthquake were also felt in several northeastern Japanese prefectures, including Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, and Saitama, all located in close proximity to the capital, Tokyo.

Despite the significant seismic activity, no tsunami warning has been issued in response to the earthquake.

“Though the earthquake was powerful, we’re fortunate not to have any reports of casualties or infrastructure damage at this time,” stated a spokesperson from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Source: Newsroom