Strong quake hits western Japan, no tsunami risk

[TOKYO] A strong quake hit western Japan early Monday, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or risk of tsunami waves, officials said.

The 5.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 15.4km at 7.58am (2258 GMT Sunday) near Osaka, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The Japanese meteorological agency put the magnitude at 5.9, and the epicentre at a depth of 10 kilometres.

"There have been no reports of substantial damage so far although we are still checking the situation," an official at Osaka prefectural police told AFP.

The tremor caused power outages in some areas, suspending train operations during the morning commuting hours.

AFP