5.6-magnitude quake strikes off Japan's Fukushima prefecture, no tsunami warning issued

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in northeast Japan on Thursday, the weather agency here said, although no tsunami warning has been issued.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the temblor, which occurred at 9:48 a.m. local time, was centered offshore with its epicenter at a latitude of 37.6 degrees north and a longitude of 141.7 degrees east.

The agency also said the quake occurred at a depth of 60 km.

The earthquake logged 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7 in areas of Fukushima Prefecture and 3 in some neighboring prefectures.

There have been no immediate reports of major damage or injuries as a result of the quake.

Japan's nuclear watchdog has not reported any abnormalities at Fukushima's stricken Daiichi nuclear power plant.