Earthquake of magnitude 6 jolts Japan's Noda, no tsunami warning issued

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An earthquake of 6-magnitude struck off the coast of Japan's eastern Noda region on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 19.3 km, or nearly 12 miles. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of major damage.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) said no tsunami warning or advisory was issued after the quake. Officials added that the event did not increase the risk of a major tsunami and confirmed that the situation is being closely monitored.

This comes weeks after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook the country's regions, injuring at least 30 people and forcing about 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes earlier on December 8.

It had struck off the coast and the Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 3 metres (10 feet) could hit the country's northeastern coast. Warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and tsunamis from 20 to 70 cm (7 to 27 inches) high were observed at several ports, JMA said.