Major 7.4-magnitude quake hits near Japanese islands

[GoFlyKiteNow]

Major 7.4-magnitude quake hits near Japanese islands: USGS
AFP, Dec 22, 2010, 01.38am


TOKYO: A major 7.4-magnitude quake struck southern Japan today, the US Geological Survey said, with experts warning of the possibility of a local tsunami.

The quake hit at 3:19 am local time ( 2249 hrs) 153 km east of Chichi-shima in Japan's remote Bonin island region, at a shallow depth of just 14 km.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami.

But it warned in a bulletin: "Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 km of the earthquake epicentre."

 

[GoFlyKiteNow]

5.8 Magnitude Quake Hits Yogyakarta
Jakarta Globe | December 21, 2010

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Yogyakarta at about 10:50 a.m. on Tuesday, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said.

According to the agency better known as BMKG, the epicenter was 16 kilometers deep and located at 140 kilometers southeast of Wonosari, Gunung Kidul. The quake did not trigger any tsunamis.

According to news portal Detik.com, locals in Bantul district panicked and ran out of their homes. Students were also instructed to evacuate school buildings. The situation has returned to normal.

In a separate advisory, BMKG also issued a high-wave alert for some coastal areas. It said that waves could reach as high as three meters, especially in the west coast of Lampung, Bengkulu coast and the Sunda Strait.