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Tokyo skyline
Photo: PHILIP FONG / AFP
A major earthquake of magnitude 6.2 has occurred off the coast of Japan. According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, the quake was registered on Friday evening at 19:03 p.m. (local time, 12:03 p.m. CEST). The center of the tremor was therefore off the coast of Tokyo's neighboring prefecture of Chiba at a depth of 50 kilometers.
The tremors were so strong that they even shook tall buildings in the capital Tokyo and caused a temporary disruption to train traffic. However, a tsunami warning was not issued. According to the competent authority, no irregularities were found at the country's nuclear power plants because of the quake.
Japan is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently in this area. In Japan, therefore, strict building regulations apply, and there are regular earthquake exercises.
At the beginning of May, an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 shook the central Japanese region of Ishikawa. One person was killed and 49 others were injured.
In March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami on Japan's northeast coast, killing about 18,500 people. In addition, the natural disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant led to the worst nuclear accident in the world since the Chernobyl meltdown.
wit/dpa/AFP