Strong earthquake hits Japan, but tsunami warning is canceled

TOKYO - A magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled northeast Japan early Thursday in the same area where a massive quake triggered a deadly tsunami in March, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the region after the quake, but canceled it about an hour later.

The temblor struck the region of the Pacific where a magnitude-9.0 quake hit on March 11, triggering a huge tsunami. At least 23,000 people were killed or left missing in those disasters, which destroyed hundreds of homes, offices and factories in northeastern Japan.

Thursday's quake hit about 30 miles (47 kilometers) off the shore of Iwate prefecture at 6:51 a.m. (2151 GMT Wednesday), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Much of the coast in the area is still heavily damaged from March's disasters.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami warning center said it did not expect a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami.

The quake, 19.9 miles (32 kilometers) deep, caused tremors across the northern half of the country, including Tokyo, which is about 325 miles (524 kilometers) to the southwest.

It was followed by several smaller aftershocks, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Japan is located on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines spanning the Pacific Basin, and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

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