5.3-magnitude quake strikes off Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, no tsunami warning issued

TOKYO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 struck off Fukushima Prefecture in northeast Japan on Thursday, the weather agency here said, although no tsunami warning has been issued.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the temblor occurred at 2.26 p.m. local time at a depth of 60 km.

The weather agency said the offshore quake measured 4 on Japan's seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7 in some areas in Fukushima, as well as neighboring Miyagi Prefecture. In northern Chiba, the temblor measured 3 on the seismic intensity scale, the JMA also said.

There have been no immediate reports of major damage or injuries as a result of the quake.

Japan's nuclear watchdog has not reported any abnormalities at any nuclear power stations in the affected regions, including at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.