Japan's Meteorological Agency reported on Saturday that a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off Japan's southern coast, shaking Okinawa and nearby islands. A tsunami warning was briefly issued.
The quake occurred off the coast of the island of Okinawa early on Saturday at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) at 5:31 a.m. Saturday [20:31 GMT Friday], the agency said.
There have been no reports of major damage or casualties so far, except for reports of ruptured water pipes in two locations, an Okinawa police official said.
The Meteorological Agency had initially predicted a tsunami up to six feet (two meters) near the Okinawan coast, warning nearby residents to stay away from the coastline.
The agency later lifted the warning within two hours, after observing only a small swelling of tide.
Okinawa is about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo.
CCTV pictures filmed inside Japan's NHK newsroom in Okinawa showed the moment the earthquake hit, with objects in the office shaking as NHK staff sat at their desks.
Japan hit by earthquake
07:36 GMT 27.02.2010 (Updated: 19:51 GMT 19.10.2022)
© RIA Novosti
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Japan's Meteorological Agency reported on Saturday that a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off Japan's southern coast, shaking Okinawa and nearby islands. A tsunami warning was briefly issued.
The quake occurred off the coast of the island of Okinawa early on Saturday at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometres) at 5:31 a.m. Saturday (2031 GMT Friday), the agency said.
