International

6.6 Magnitude Quake Hits off Japan

A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings across a large part of the country, including Tokyo, say reports.

No casualties were reported from the quake that according to local officials, caused only light damage to structures near the epicenter.

The quake hit at around 1710 hours and was felt most strongly in central Fukushima region some 130 200 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, said reports citing the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The epicenter of the quake was about 80 kilometers off the eastern coast at a depth of about 40 kilometers, the meteorological agency said.

While the government said there was no danger of a tsunami, slight changes to ocean levels were a possibility in some areas.

It was strong enough to gently sway large buildings in Tokyo and was felt across a broad stretch of Japan’s main Honshu and northern Hokkaido islands.

The earthquake was predicted just before it hit, public broadcaster NHK interrupted a sumo match to warn residents to take cover.

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the western city of Kobe killed 6,400 people.

Based on Media Reports

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