Tokyo: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off
Japan's southern coast today, shaking a broad swath of the
country and swaying buildings in downtown Tokyo.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported, and
Japan's meteorological agency said there was no danger of a
tsunami.
The temblor hit at 12:25 pm local time (0855 hrs IST),
with the epicentre near the Ogasawara Islands, about 800
kilometres south of the main Japanese island, the agency said.
It struck at a depth of 480 kilometres.
Japan's meteorological agency reported a magnitude of
6.9, however, the US Geological Survey said the quake was 6.6.
The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.
The Ogasawara are known as the Bonin Islands outside of
Japan.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in
the world. In 1995, a quake of magnitude 7.2 killed 6,400
people in the western port city of Kobe.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 13:09