TOKYO – A strong earthquake struck Thursday morning near the Japan nuclear power plant hit by a powerful tsunami earlier this year. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-5.9 quake struck shortly before 4:30 a.m. local time. It hit 62 miles (101 kilometers) east of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. The quake struck at a depth of 23 miles (37 kilometers).
The quake struck 151 miles (244 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not immediately issue a tsunami alert.
Similar quakes have struck in the region since a March 11 magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami wiped out part of Japan's northeastern coast and left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing.
The March tsunami also touched off a nuclear crisis when it heavily damaged the Fukushima plant, forcing about 100,000 people to flee their homes. They still have no idea when they can return.
The region lies on the "Ring of Fire" — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim. About 90 percent of the world's quakes occur in the region.
