Powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake jolts northern Japan near Honshu Island

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeastern coast of Honshu Island on Saturday but no tsunami warning was issued, National Centre for Seismology said. The tremors were felt in the northern and eastern parts of the country, including Tokyo around 6.57 am.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 60 kilometers (more than 37 miles) in the Pacific Ocean, not far from the prefecture of Miyagi. There were no reports of any damages or casualties due to the earthquake as of now.

Miyagi prefecture had been the epicenter of the huge March 2011 earthquake that triggered a towering tsunami, killing more than 18,000 people. The office of the prime minister created a crisis centre following the earthquake.

Railway companies have suspended train traffic in the prefectures hit by the earthquake to carry out safety checks. The authorities also ordered additional checks at nuclear power plants in the northeastern part of the country.

A Meteorological Agency official warned strong aftershocks may hit the region in about a week, adding that expected bad weather may trigger landslides following the latest ground shaking.

Japan is located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire and regularly suffers from powerful earthquakes. The 2011 earthquake of 9.0 magnitude and the following tsunami killed over 15,000 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.