A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 has struck Saitama Prefecture in the Kant? region, which includes the Greater Tokyo Area, seismologists and witnesses say. No tsunami warning was issued and only a few details are available.
The earthquake, which struck at 7:12 p.m. on Tuesday, was centered in Southern Saitama. It struck at a depth of about 80 kilometers, making it an earthquake of intermediate depth, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The agency put the preliminary magnitude of the earthquake at 4.9, down from an earlier estimate of 5.2. The tremor prompted the Earthquake Early Warning System to send out an earthquake warning to residents.
Other details were not immediately available, but light to moderate shaking was felt across the region, with high-rise buildings shaking in the capital Tokyo. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
About 7 minutes after the earthquake, a 3.7-magnitude aftershock shook the area, though it was not felt as widely.
