TOKYO (AP) - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off Japan's southern coast early Saturday, shaking Okinawa and nearby islands, where a tsunami warning was issued, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
The quake occurred off the coast of the island of Okinawa at a
depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) at 5:31 a.m. Saturday (2031 GMT
Friday), the agency said.
It predicted a tsunami up to 6 feet (2 meters) near the Okinawan
coast. There were no immediate reports of major damage or
casualties.
Ryota Ueno, a town official in the Nishihara district of
Okinawa, said, "I was fast asleep when the quake hit, and I jumped
out of bed. It felt like the shaking lasted forever."
There was no major damage in his house, and he then rushed to
the town office to meet up with his colleagues and stand by in case
of reports of damage from residents, Ueno told a telephone
interview with public broadcaster NHK.
So far, only one resident reported a ruptured water pipe, but no
other damage reported, he said.
Okinawa is about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southwest of
Tokyo.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. In
1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the western port city of Kobe killed
6,400 people.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
