No tsunami warning issued after magnitude 6.9 earthquake off Tohoku
Officials said a 6.9-magnitude quake off Iwate may cause only slight sea-level changes, while rail services were suspended and no irregularities at nuclear plants were reported.
- A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the east coast of the Tohoku region in north-eastern Japan.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued, though slight sea-level changes were possible.
- The quake reached a strong intensity of 6-plus in some areas, causing temporary halts to train services, including high-speed Shinkansen lines.
- No irregularities were reported at nearby nuclear power plants following the earthquake.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said on Thursday (25 June) that no tsunami warning had been issued after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of the Tohoku region in north-eastern Japan.
The agency placed the epicentre of Iwate prefecture at a depth of around 50 kilometres.
It said tsunami damage was not expected, although slight changes in sea level could occur.
In Aomori prefecture, the quake reached an intensity of 6-plus on Japan’s 0-7 seismic scale.
At that level, people typically find that “it is impossible to remain standing or to move without crawling”, the agency said.
Tohoku Electric Power said no irregularities had been found at its Onagawa nuclear power plant or at the idled Higashidori nuclear power plant after the earthquake.
East Japan Railway said it had halted some trains following the quake, including Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed services.
Earthquakes are frequent in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas.
The country accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher.
Reuters
