Dhaka, Dec 12 (V7N) — A powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Friday (December 12), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The quake occurred at 11:44 a.m. local time (0444 GMT) at a depth of 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), Al Jazeera reported.

The JMA initially recorded the tremor as magnitude 6.5, later revising it to 6.7. Authorities warned that tsunami waves up to one meter (three feet) could hit parts of Japan’s North Pacific coastline.

The latest quake comes just days after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the same region, leaving at least 50 people injured. Residents were still recovering from that disaster when the new tremor hit.

Japan, located along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent earthquakes. One of the nation’s most devastating disasters was the 9.1-magnitude Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011, which killed more than 22,000 people and triggered a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

Authorities are monitoring the situation, and further updates are expected.

END/SMA/AJ