Strong 6.6 magnitude quake hits northern Japan

Asian Defense News: TOKYO, Japan (AFP) - – A strong, 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan Sunday afternoon, but no tsunami warning was issued, US and Japanese authorities said.

The quake struck at 5:08 pm (0808 GMT) in the Pacific off Fukushima prefecture, 250 kilometres (155 miles) north of Tokyo, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Japanese Meteorological Agency said in separate statements.

Strong 6.6 magnitude quake hits northern Japan

"It is possible that the tidal level would change slightly. But there is no worry about damage," the Japanese agency said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake was strong enough to sway skyscrapers in Tokyo, where national television networks had issued flash warnings of a possible large quake before the tremors could be felt in the capital.

The USGS put the quake's depth at 26.4 kilometres (16.4 miles), while the Japanese agency said it was 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) deep.

Some train services in the region, including the Shinkansen bullet trains, stopped immediately after the quake, but gradually resumed normal operations.