Strong earthquake shakes southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 rattled southern Japan today, the Meteorological Agency said. There were no reports of injuries or serious damage.
The quake was most strongly felt on the eastern coast of Kyushu island, one of Japan’s four main islands. The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.
The quake struck at about 11.50am (2.50am Irish time) and was centred off the coast of Hyuga in Miyazaki prefecture (state), 460 miles south-west of Tokyo, the agency said.
After analysing data, the agency later revised the quake’s depth to 22 miles under the ocean floor, instead of an earlier estimate of 30 miles.
Local police spokesman Shinichiro Harada said no injuries were reported, but some concrete fences were slightly damaged in a coastal town.
Japan sits on four tectonic plates and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.
