Strong quake rattles Japan

A STRONG magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Japan yesterday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded capital.

There were no reports of casualties, with only light damage to structures near the epicentre, according to local officials. The quake hit at 5:08pm and was felt most strongly in central Fukushima prefecture about 210 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The earthquake was centred about 80km off the eastern coast at a depth of about 40km.

The government said there was no danger of a tsunami.