7.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Iwate Coast of Japan

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Iwate prefecture in Japan on Thursday morning. The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded its initial reading of 6.9 and placed the depth at about 30 miles. The U.S.

Geological Survey recorded the event as magnitude 6.9. No tsunami warning followed the quake. It occurred during rush hour and produced mild shaking in Tokyo. Authorities reported no immediate injuries.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government emergency team is “putting people’s lives first” while assessing information and preparing relief operations. She urged residents in affected regions to remain alert for aftershocks. Tomoko Nagane, principal of a primary school in Hashikami, Aomori prefecture, felt moderate sideways shaking while driving when the alert sounded.

Children at the school were unharmed though some cried in fear; classes were canceled and students returned home safely. Journalists in Sendai and Morioka reported shaking that lasted a couple of minutes with no visible damage. East Japan Railway Co.

Suspended some bullet trains and local lines for safety inspections. Nuclear facilities including the Fukushima Daiichi plant and a spent fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori recorded no abnormalities. A wall collapsed from one building in Hachinohe, and office supplies scattered inside Hashikami Town Hall.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Caracas, Venezuela, on the same day, causing the terminal at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía to shake and power to flicker as passengers ran for cover.