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A strong earthquake struck off the northern coast of\u00a0Japan\u00a0during rush hour on Thursday morning, however the country\u2019s meteorological agency said there was\u00a0no danger of a tsunami\u00a0and no serious injuries were reported.<\/p>\n
The temblor shook dozens of towns across northeastern Japan and was even mildly felt within the capital, Tokyo. It hit in an area where strong earthquakes have repeatedly been reported in recent months, including one which triggered a weeklong mega-quake caution advisory in December.<\/p>\n
Within the town of Hashikami, a college principal recounted how her automobile shook sideways when the quake struck as she was driving to work. Children already gathered at the varsity were secure, she said, though some were crying in fear.
The quake \u2014 off the eastern coast of the Iwate prefecture \u2014 had a magnitude of seven.2, upgraded from an initial reading of 6.9, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Its depth was about 50 kilometers (30 miles), the agency said. The U.S. Geological Survey also reported the quake, giving its magnitude as 6.9.<\/p>\n
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Eight people were injured in northern prefectures of Aomori and Iwate, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Japanese media had no report of life-threatening injuries and the injuries that were reported were mainly from falling or being hit by falling objects.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t(Kyodo News via AP)\t\t\t\t<\/cite>
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In Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that her government\u2019s emergency team is \u201cputting people\u2019s lives first,\u201d while assessing information and preparing for relief operations, if needed. She urged residents within the affected regions to make use of caution against possible aftershocks.<\/p>\n
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