A new strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude 6.1 shook northeastern Japan in the early hours of Sunday. The earthquake was recorded in 5:21 a.m. local time (around 11:21 p.m. on June 27, Bulgarian time) with an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, and a depth of about 40 kilometers.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that there is no tsunami threat. There are currently no reports of serious damage or injuries.
The earthquake was felt at a magnitude of 5-minus on the 7-point Japanese seismic scale in parts of Aomori and Iwate prefectures. Energy operators Tohoku Electric Power Co. and Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. confirmed that no anomalies were recorded at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants, as well as at the Rokasho nuclear fuel reprocessing plant.
Seismic activity in the area remains extremely high. Just three days ago - on June 25 - the same region was hit by a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake, which injured at least 10 people and blocked the movement of bullet trains (Shinkansen). Adding to the pressure is the heavy rains of the current typhoon season, which has led authorities to warn of an increased risk of dangerous landslides in the affected mountainous areas.
Source: The Straits Times / The Japan Times