Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale struck off the east coast of Japan early on Friday morning close to the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

The quake had a seismic intensity of 5-minus on the Japanese scale (5 on a 10-point scale) and shook buildings strongly in the Fukushima area.

The quake, which struck at a depth of 50 kilometers, was felt over a wide area of eastern Japan, including downtown Tokyo.

There was no danger of a tsunami and no early reports of damage.

Eastern Japan, especially the Chiba area near Tokyo, has been hit by a series of earthquakes in the last few weeks and Japan’s Meteorological Agency says there is a likelihood of more strong earthquakes and has advised citizens to be cautious.