Japan: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs near the Ryukyu Islands Nov. 25

A magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurred in the Phillippine Sea off the eastern coast of Okinawa Main Island at around 15:10 Nov. 25. The epicenter was about 80 km (50 miles) southeast of Katsuren-haebaru. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt in parts of northern Okinawa Prefecture as well as the far southern Amami Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and 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.