Second 6.6 quake hits near Tokyo, no immediate reports of damage

A second strong earthquake has hit Japan, this time in a totally different location than the earlier 8.9 magnitude quake that was followed by deadly tsunamis.

The 6.6 magnitude quake was felt in Tokyo, but no initial reports of damage, injury or death have surfaced. The seismic activity was centered northwest of Toyko. Local news sources describe the pre-dawn quake’s precise location:

The [Japan Meteorological Agency] did not issue a tsunami warning. The 3:59 a.m. quake hit areas including Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, which is far from the Pacific coastal area jolted by a magnitude 8.8 quake the previous day.

The BBC was quoted as reporting that dozens of aftershocks have rocked Japan since the massive earthquake hit several hours ago, but the 6.6 quake later in the day was in an entirely different spot. David Applegate, a senior science advisor with the USGS, says the first quake was the strongest to hit Japan in over 1,200 years.

The death toll for the 8.9 magnitude quake is at around 300, but is expected to rise when damage can be fully assessed in daylight hours.

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