Strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Northern Japan

A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Friday evening, prompting emergency alerts across five prefectures. Although the tremor was strong enough to register lower level five on Japan’s seven-point seismic intensity scale in some areas, officials said there was no immediate tsunami threat.

The earthquake occurred at about 8:22 p.m. local time. Anadolu Agency, citing the United States Geological Survey, reported that the epicentre was located approximately 49 kilometers east-southeast of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture. The Independent reported that the quake’s focus was off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. The USGS initially recorded the quake at magnitude 6.6 before revising it to 6.7, while the Japan Meteorological Agency said it struck at a depth of around 50 kilometers.

As a precaution, JR East temporarily suspended services on the high-speed rail line between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori. There were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries, or major structural damage.

The strongest shaking was felt in parts of Miyagi Prefecture, including Tome, Osaki, and Ishinomaki, where the quake registered lower level five on Japan’s seismic intensity scale. Areas of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures also experienced level four tremors.

The quake came several weeks after a stronger earthquake struck northeastern and northern Japan on April 20, prompting tsunami warnings and advisories for coastal areas including Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate. According to The Independent, that earlier earthquake injured at least 33 people, produced tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters in some coastal communities, and led authorities to advise more than 170,000 residents to evacuate before the warnings were lifted.

Following the April earthquake, the UK Foreign Office cautioned travelers in Japan about an increased risk of strong earthquakes in the following week. The agency also reminded visitors that Japan lies in a major earthquake zone and urged people to follow instructions from local authorities and emergency officials during disasters.