Japan lifts tsunami alert after quake

Japan has lifted a tsunami warning that had been issued following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in the northeastern coast of the country.

On Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) lifted a tsunami advisory two hours after the quake hit northeastern Japan at 8 am local time (2300 GMT) at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). The epicenter was 210 kilometers east of Miyako city in Iwate Prefecture.

The jolts were felt 690 kilometers away in Tokyo.

The agency had earlier warned of a possible 1-meter (3-foot) tsunami. However, only waves of up to 20 centimeters were recorded on the shore of Miyako.

“Though there may be slight sea-level change in coastal regions, no tsunami damage is expected,” the JMA announced.

Local media announced that the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in Miyagi Prefecture has not suffered any damage.

There are also no reports of casualties as a result of the quake, either.

On March 11, 2011, the same region was hit by a magnitude 9 earthquake, which triggered a devastating tsunami ravaging the country’s northeastern coast. The tremor triggered a nuclear crisis by knocking out power to cooling systems at the nuclear power plant.

Japan is located in an area of high seismicity.