5.6 quake rattles Japan near Fukushima site

New York, July 08: An earthquake registering 5.6 shook the Pacific off Honshu, Japan, the US Geological Survey said on Thursday. That is the area of northeast Japan ravaged by a March 11 quake and tsunami that knocked out power at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

No immediate damage or casualties were reported from the quake that struck at 6:35 pm GMT on Thursday, the USGS said. No tsunami watch was immediately issued. The epicenter of the quake was some 51 miles (83 kilometres) southeast of Fukushima, in Honshu, Japan, the USGS said. The quake was centered some 28 miles (45 kilometres deep, the agency said.

The March 11 quake was magnitude 9.0, triggering a disaster that devastated Japan’s northeastern coast, destroying towns, homes and businesses. More than 22,600 people are dead or missing.

–Agencies