Quake jolts northern Japan, no casualties

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit northern Japan on Sunday morning but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit northern Japan on Sunday morning but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, officials said.

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The quake occurred at 7.06 am(0336 IST), with the epicentre located 30 kilometres below the seabed in the Pacific Ocean, off Iwate prefecture, the meteorological agency said.

There was no risk of tsunami waves, the agency said.

Japan, which lies at the junction of four tectonic plates, has about 20 per cent of the world's powerful earthquakes, frequently jolting Tokyo and other major cities.