6.4-magnitude quake strikes off Japan coast
20 April, 2020
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan in early stages Monday (Apr 20), based on the US Geological Survey, but no tsunami warning was issued.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 41.7km beneath the Pacific seabed, less than 50km off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, the USGS said on its website, rating the risk of casualties and damage as low.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) put the quake at a magnitude of 6.1 and a depth of 50km. Japan's Kyodo News Agency said no tsunami warning had been issued following the tremor, which hit soon after 5.30am local time.
Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of powerful seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and over the Pacific basin.
In 2011, a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck about 130km east of Miyagi prefecture, unleashing a massive tsunami, triggering the Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown and killing practically 16,000 people.
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