Japan: Magnitude-6.1 offshore earthquake occurs east of Fukushima Prefecture at around 12:16  April 4

A magnitude-6.1 offshore earthquake occurred east of Fukushima Prefecture at around 12:16  April 4. The epicenter was about 83 km (52 miles) east of Minami-Soma. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 40 km (25 miles), and moderate shaking was probably felt near the epicenter, in eastern Fukushima and eastern Miyagi prefectures, with light shaking in the rest of southern Tohoku and northern Kanto regions. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter. Reports indicate that some sections of the Tohoku Shinkansen are out of power.