Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Strikes Northern Japan as Strong Quakes Trigger Tsunami Warnings and Nuclear Safety Checks Across the Region

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck northern Japan early Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with no immediate reports of fatalities or damage.

The quake occurred at 5:24 a.m. Local time, 18 kilometers west of the small town of Sarabetsu in Hokkaido at a depth of 81 kilometers.

Japan’s northern region had been experiencing wildfires for several days prior to the earthquake, prompting the deployment of 1,400 firefighters and Self-Defense Force personnel to battle blazes threatening homes in the coastal town of Otsuchi.

The area burned by the Otsuchi fires had grown to 1,373 hectares as of Sunday morning, up 7 percent from the previous day, with two additional wildfires breaking out in Kitakata and Nagaoka on Sunday.

Last Monday, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off northern Japan triggered a short-lived tsunami alert and an advisory of a slightly higher risk of a possible megaquake for coastal areas, leading to evacuation orders affecting about 170,000 people.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued no tsunami advisory following the magnitude 6.1 quake.

No casualties or damage have been reported from the recent earthquake, according to official sources.