2011-03-28 09:29

TOKYO - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 hit Miyagi Prefecture and its vicinity in northeastern Japan on Monday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency issued a tsunami alert for the Pacific coast of the prefecture following the quake, which occurred at 7:24 am, but lifted it at 9:05 am.

The quake's focus was 80 kilometers east of Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake.

The focus of the quake was 80 kilometers east of Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture, the agency said.

The areas were hit hard by the devastating March 11 earthquake. On March 11, the Miyagi Prefecture and neighboring regions were struck by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake off the coast and ensuing tsunamis, which killed more than 10,000 people and caused severe damage and huge property loss.

The catastrophe also sparked a nuclear leak crisis at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, which the Japanese government is still trying to contain.