Japan: 5.8-magnitude earthquake strikes off Aomori coast; no tsunami warning

A 58magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan on Saturday morning according to the Japan Meteorological Agency JMA No tsunami warning or advisory was issued following the tremor and there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualtiesThe earthquake occurred at 1148 am local time at a depth of 80 kilometres beneath the seabed off Aomoris Pacific coast The JMA said the quake registered 4 on Japans seismic intensity scale of 7 indicating strong shaking that can be felt indoors but is generally not associated with widespread structural damageEarthquake recorded off Aomori coastAccording to the Japan Meteorological Agency the epicentre of the earthquake was located at 413 degrees north latitude and 1420 degrees east longitudeAuthorities continued to monitor the situation after the tremor but no tsunami advisory was issued as the quake did not pose a significant threat of sealevel changesJapan which lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire experiences thousands of earthquakes every year Most are minor but the country maintains one of the worlds most advanced earthquake monitoring and early warning systems due to its high level of seismic activityNo immediate reports of major damageAs of Saturday afternoon officials had not reported any significant damage to infrastructure or injuries linked to the earthquake in Aomori PrefectureLocal authorities were assessing the situation while emergency services remained on alert in case of aftershocks or any delayed reports of damageThe JMA regularly advises residents to remain cautious following moderate earthquakes as aftershocks can occur in the hours or days that followFresh tremor follows deadly Kumamoto earthquakeThe latest earthquake comes just days after a powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday causing extensive destruction and loss of lifeThe earlier quake which occurred at around 427 pm local time registered the maximum intensity of 7 on Japans seismic scale in the worsthit areas making it one of the strongest earthquakes to affect the region in recent yearsOn Friday Kumamoto Prefecture officials confirmed that the death toll from that disaster had risen to 35Authorities said the figure includes people whose deaths are still being examined to determine whether they were directly linked to the earthquakeRelief efforts continue in affected areasRescue and relief operations remain underway across Kumamoto Prefecture where widespread damage has disrupted transportation and essential servicesAccording to reports from Xinhua roads in several affected areas were buckled and cracked while damaged traffic signals created additional challenges for emergency responders and residents Long queues formed outside fuel stations as many people stocked up on supplies with some planning to spend the night in their vehiclesIn Uki Citys Ogawa district a civic activity centre has been converted into an evacuation shelter housing nearly 500 displaced residents including many elderly people and childrenFamilies were seen resting on the floor with backpacks clothing and emergency supplies while portable toilets and other temporary facilities were installed outside to support those displaced by the disasterJapanese authorities continue to monitor seismic activity across the country while urging residents to remain prepared for possible aftershocks and to follow official safety advisoriesWith inputs from IANS