TOKYO—(ENEWSPF)—19 August 2011. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeast coast at 2:36 p.m. local time Friday according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency. The quake was centered about 300 kilometers northeast of Tokyo at a depth of 20 kilometers south of the area where the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck March 11.
It is reported that the quake caused buildings to sway. Bullet trains and several other local train services in the region were temporarily suspended for safety checks. No damages or injuries have been reported as yet.
A tsunami alert for the Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures was issued but lifted 30 minutes later.
A representative of the Tokyo Electric Power Company stated that there were no problems seen in the key equipment at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant although plant workers were briefly evacuated following the quake.
Source: Tokyo Meteorological Agency