December 3, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 17, 1422

TOKYO, Dec 2: A moderately strong earthquake shook northeastern Japan on Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, but there were no reports of damage.

The quake, estimated at 6.3 on the Richter scale, was centred in Iwate prefecture 500 kms northeast of Tokyo and was felt across a wide area spanning Sapporo in the northern-most island of Hokkaido to the capital in the centre of the main island Honshu.

The quake registered a “lower five” on the Japanese scale of one to seven in the prefecture of Miyagi to the south of the epicentre, meaning some buildings may suffer damage and gas and electricity supplies could be disrupted.

But the Meteorological Agency said the epicentre was 130 kms underground, reducing the chances of damage to buildings and property.

The earthquake hit at 10.02 pm (1302 GMT) and officials in the area said that it lasted more than 20 seconds.

As a precaution, high-speed “shinkansen” bullet train services in the area were halted, a common practice in Japan, one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.—Reuters