Strong earthquake rattles northern Japan, but no tsunami danger
By APSaturday, June 12, 2010
Strong earthquake shakes northern Japan
TOKYO — A strong earthquake rattled northern Japan on Sunday, and authorities said no tsunami was expected in the area. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the afternoon quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2.
The earthquake occurred off the coast of the eastern Hama-dori region of Fukushima prefecture, which is located about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Tokyo.
Tremors were felt in Tokyo and in neighboring prefectures, including Miyagi, Yamagata, Tochigi and Ibaraki.
The agency did not issue a tsunami alert.
The Tokyo Electric Power Co. said its two nuclear power plants in the prefecture were operating normally.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In 1995, a quake of magnitude 7.2 killed 6,400 people in the western port city of Kobe.
