Tsunami Advisory After Major Earthquake Rattles Japan
6.7-magnitude earthquake struck offshore Thursday morning
A tsunami advisory was issued for part of Japan's northeast coast after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck offshore Thursday morning local time, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The meteorological agency said the latest jolt hit at 6.51 a.m. about 50km off the east coast of Miyako, Iwate prefecture.
The northeast coast of Japan's main Honshu island was ravaged by a 9.0-magnitude quake and monster tsunami on March 11, which left more 23,000 people dead or missing, according to media reports.
Records show the disasters also crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, triggering the world's worst atomic accident since Chernobyl in 1986 and forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to leave their homes.
If there is a tsunami, its height is only expected to be around 1.6 feet and it would likely affect coastal regions of Iwate prefecture, the JMA said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in the quake that hit Thursday, The Associated Press reports.