Japan earthquake: Powerful 6.2 magnitude quake strikes off Honshu

Japan earthquake
USGS

A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. However, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake.

According to USGS, the quake hit 103 km northeast of the island of Honshu, at a depth of 64 km, which is not very far from the island of Hokkaido. But, tsunami alert was not issued by the authorities. Recently, there's been some seismic activity along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.

Japan is located at the junction of four tectonic plates and earthquakes are quite common in the country. The country sits on one of the world's most seismically active zone known as the Pacific Ring. But rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even strong tremors often do little damage.

Reports say Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude-6 or greater.

On Tuesday, Japan's Kusatsu-Shirane volcano also erupted killing a man and injuring at least 11 people. Meanwhile, Mount Mayon has been continuously firing lava and ash in the Philippines.

This article was first published on January 24, 2018
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