No Tsunami Generated from Powerful Hokkaido Quake

Hokkaido earthquake. United States Geological Survey image.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported at 5:42 p.m. HST tonight that no tsunami was generated from a 6.7-magnitude (preliminary report) earthquake that struck on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 11.25 a.m. Singapore time off the southern coast of Hokkaido.

News sources report no damage or injuries, although heavy shaking was felt.

Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences approximately 20% of the world’s most powerful earthquakes.

On Tuesday this week, a strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off Hokkaido.

The massive quake that hit in March 2011 created a tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people and sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.