Quake hits off islands south of Tokyo; no tsunami

TOKYO – A strong earthquake shook a Japanese island chain in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo on Saturday, but there was no danger of a tsunami and there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The magnitude 6.9 quake Saturday evening occurred in the Pacific Ocean west of the Ogasawara island chain, at a location about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency said the quake, whose epicenter was very deep at 450 kilometres (280 miles) below the sea surface, posed no danger of a tsunami.

The Ogasawara chain, made up of ancient undersea volcanoes and also called the Bonin islands, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.