Japan issues tsunami advisory after 6.8 quake

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Japan issues tsunami advisory after 6.8 quake

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An earthquake of 6.8 magnitude struck Japan's northeast coast on Friday

19 August,2011 11:37 am

A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck off Japans northeast coast Friday, triggering a tsunami advisory, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said.The quake, which swayed buildings in Tokyo, struck off the Pacific coast at a depth of 20 kilometres (12 miles) at 0536 GMT, according to a preliminary report from the agency.There were no immediate reports of damage from the tremor that struck 80 kilometres southeast of Miyagi prefecture, not far from the epicentre of the powerful magnitude-9.0 quake that hit on March 11.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami in the broader Pacific Ocean.But the meteorological agency warned that waves of up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) may hit areas along the disaster-struck coast, including the area where the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is situated.The operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), said there were no reports of fresh damage or abnormalities after the latest quake at the stricken atomic power plant.