A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast on Thursday, but the country’s meteorological agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.

Earthquake Details

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 and occurred off the eastern coast of Iwate, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake had a depth of about 50 kilometers (30 miles), it said.

The U.S. Geological Survey also reported a magnitude of 6.9. The rattling occurred in the area where strong earthquakes have repeatedly been reported in recent months, including one that triggered a weeklong mega-quake caution advisory in December.

Response and Aftermath

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that her government’s emergency team is putting people’s lives first, while assessing information and preparing for relief operations, if needed. She urged residents in the affected regions to use caution against possible aftershocks.

Tomoko Nagane, a primary school principal in the town of Hashikami in Aomori prefecture, told NHK that she was driving when the quake alert went off and that she felt moderate sideway shaking. Children already gathered at the school were safe, she said, though some were crying in fear.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.