Magnitude 5.8 quake jolts eastern Hokkaido

A strong earthquake struck eastern Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, early Saturday, 25 October, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed.

The 5.8-magnitude tremor occurred at 1:40 a.m. local time off the coast of the Nemuro Peninsula at a depth of 40 kilometers. The agency initially recorded it at magnitude 5.9 but later downgraded it.

The quake registered a lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 0 to 7.

Officials said there was no threat of a tsunami following the earthquake.