An earthquake measuring 6.5 degrees shakes Japan's Bonin Islands

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 degrees on the Richter scale jolted the region of the Bonin Islands, southern Japan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) U.S. ruled out shortly after the earthquake tsunami hazards exist on the coasts of the states of Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington, in the U.S., or British Columbia in Canada.

The earthquake occurred at 21:32 GMT at a depth of 520 kilometers. Its epicenter was 220 kilometers west of the town of Chichi-sima, 274 kilometers north-northwest of Iwo Jima, to 890 miles south-southeast of Hamamatsu, and 970 kilometers south of Tokyo. Japan is one of the most seismically active areas of the world and major earthquakes are relatively common but rarely cause serious damage due to strict regulations in force for the construction of buildings.

The latest quake, of 4.9 degrees on the Richter scale, also centered in the Pacific, occurred on January 3.

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