Tokyo: A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 on the Richter scale struck Japan's northern Pacific coast, as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The earthquake occurred at 11:44 p.m. (0244 GMT) and prompted a tsunami advisory for coastal areas in the northern and northeastern regions, although there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.
According to Kuwait News Agency, 20-cm tsunami waves were observed along the coastlines of Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture. Despite the tremor, Tohoku Electric Power Co. confirmed that there were no significant issues at its nuclear plants located in Aomori and Miyagi.
The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 20 km east off Aomori Prefecture, situated about 600 km north of Tokyo. In central Tokyo and its surrounding vicinity, the quake registered a 4 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7. The agency describes an intensity of 4 as sufficient to cause dishes and objects on shelves to rattle. This earthquake follows a magnitude 7.5 temblor that affected northern and eastern regions of Japan just four days prior.