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Powerful quake hits Japan
TOKYO, Japan -- A powerful earthquake has rocked northern Japan near Sendai, prompting officials to shut down railways, highways and a Tokyo airport, hundreds of kilometers away. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which struck at 6:24 p.m. (0924 GMT), but journalist Steve Herman told CNN he would be very surprised if there were no casualties. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered 60 kilometers (40 miles) below the sea floor off the northeastern coast of Miyagi prefecture, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. Japanese television showed pictures of at least two buildings on fire in central Sendai, and fire trucks on the scene, although it was not clear whether they were related to the tremor. The quake sent workers and shoppers scurrying out onto the street, while officials closed major highways and railways to check for damage. Local officials quoted by public service broadcaster NHK said there were blackouts and water outages in some areas. Sendai, the largest city in the mostly agricultural northeastern Touhoku region, has a population of just over one million. In Tokyo, 302 km (189 miles) to the south, the quake shook buildings and was felt for about two minutes. Downtown Haneda airport briefly suspended takeoffs and landings to check runways, while East Japan Railway stopped bullet trains in the area. While the quake was about the same magnitude as one that hit Kobe in 1995, killing 6,430, experts say because it was centered off shore, it is not likely to have the same impact. Japan's meteorological agency said there was no danger of tsunami, powerful waves that can be stirred up by seismic activity. The Cabinet Office in Tokyo said the government had set up an emergency task force. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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