TOKYO — A strong earthquake struck off the northern coast of Japan on Thursday, though officials said it did not pose a tsunami threat.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake, centered off the eastern coast of Iwate prefecture, registered a magnitude of 7.2 after being revised upward from an initial estimate of 6.9. The agency said the tremor occurred at a depth of about 50 kilometers, or 30 miles. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the earthquake at magnitude 6.9.
The area has experienced a series of powerful quakes in recent months, including one in December that prompted authorities to issue a weeklong advisory warning of the possibility of a major quake.
Thursday’s earthquake hit northeastern Japan during the morning rush hour and was felt lightly as far away as Tokyo. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that the government’s emergency response team was “putting people’s lives first” as it gathered information and prepared for possible relief efforts. She also urged people in affected areas to remain alert for aftershocks.
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Tomoko Nagane, the principal of an elementary school in Hashikami, a town in Aomori prefecture, told NHK she was driving when the earthquake alert sounded and felt moderate side-to-side shaking. She said children who had already arrived at the school were safe, though some were frightened and crying. Classes were canceled for the day, and all students returned home safely, she said.
NHK broadcast reports from journalists in several of the more strongly affected cities, including Sendai and Morioka, who said the shaking lasted for a couple of minutes but that they had not observed any damage. Video footage showed commuters continuing their routines as usual.
East Japan Railway Co., which operates rail services across the northeastern region, said some bullet trains and local lines were temporarily suspended while safety inspections were carried out.
Nuclear power plants and facilities, including the Fukushima Daiichi plant which was damaged by the 2011 massive quake and tsunami, and a spent fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, have not reported any abnormalities from Thursday’s earthquake, Kihara said.
Japan, which sits on what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone areas.
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