Fairly Strong Earthquake Hits Northern JapanA fairly strong earthquake struck Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Sunday, the Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.The temblor with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 hit at 2:26 a.m. (1726 GMT Saturday) with the greatest force in the city of Nemuro on Hokkaido's eastern seaboard, the agency said. There was no danger of huge tsunami waves whipped up by seismic activity. The quake was centered on 60 kilometers (37 miles) beneath the seabed off Hokkaido's eastern coast. Nemuro is about 973 kilometers (608 miles) northwest of Tokyo. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. It sits a top four tectonic plates, slabs of land that move across the Earth's surface. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |