Magnitude 6.9 quake strikes northern Japan, no tsunami warning issued
A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Hashikami area of Aomori Prefecture, prompting a government task force and halting Shinkansen service, but no tsunami warning or casualties have been reported.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Japan on Thursday morning, with the Japan Meteorological Agency locating the epicenter about 50 km offshore of Iwate Prefecture. The tremor produced an upper-6 rating on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture, while nearby Hachinohe recorded a lower-6 and several Iwate cities reported an upper-5.
No tsunami warning was issued. The Prime Minister’s Office formed a task force to coordinate response efforts. > "There is no tsunami concern," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters, adding that residents should stay alert for possible aftershocks of similar size.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said no injuries had been confirmed and nuclear facilities in the region were operating normally. Fuji TV reported that a few individuals might be trapped in an elevator in Hachinohe after it stopped during the quake. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi ordered the Self-Defense Forces to carry out aerial intelligence missions over the affected area.
The Tohoku Shinkansen service was suspended pending safety checks. The quake follows a series of recent tremors in the Tohoku region, including a magnitude 6.3 event in May and a magnitude 7.7 quake in April that prompted heightened alerts.