Posted on Sat, Nov. 01, 2003
Strong Earthquake Hits Northeastern Japan
TOKYO - A strong earthquake shook northeastern Japan on Sunday, the Meteorological Agency said, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The temblor was centered 19 miles beneath the seabed off the coast of Fukushima prefecture on Japan's main island, about 149 miles northeast of Tokyo. It had a preliminary magnitude of 5.6.

The agency said there was no danger of tsunami - powerful ocean waves caused by seismic activity.

An earthquake of magnitude 5 can cause considerable damage to homes and buildings if it occurs in a populated area.