Two moderate earthquakes strike Japanese islands near Okinawa

Tokyo, April 15. (AP): Two moderate earthquakes jolted an island chain off southwestern Japan today, but there was no danger of a tsunami, the Meteorological Agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quakes, the first of which registered a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 and hit at 0912 IST (12:42 pm local time), the agency said. The second, of magnitude 3.6, followed five minutes later.

The Meteorological Agency said the quakes were most strongly felt along an island chain stretching southwest from the island of Kyushu toward Okinawa prefecture, more than 1,000 kilometres southwest of Tokyo.

The tremors were centered between 20 kilometres and 30 kilometres under the ocean floor. The agency said there was no threat of a tsunami, potentially dangerous waves triggered by seismic activity.

Japan, which rests atop several tectonic plates, is among the world's most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude 5 quake can damage houses and buildings in densely populated areas.