Magnitude 6.1 Quake Strikes Off Iwate Coast, No Tsunami Issued

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Iwate prefecture on Sunday morning. The Japan Meteorological Agency placed the depth at roughly 30 miles and recorded a lower-5 intensity on its seven-point scale in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the same event at magnitude 6.9. No tsunami warning followed the quake.

The same agency had initially reported a 6.9 reading before upgrading the figure. The quake occurred during morning rush hour and produced mild shaking that reached Tokyo. Authorities reported no immediate injuries.

Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government emergency team is “putting people’s lives first” while assessing information and preparing relief operations. 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. 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. The same day, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Caracas, Venezuela, causing the terminal at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía to shake and power to flicker as passengers ran for cover.