TOKYO, March 27 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck off Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture, on the southeast coast of Kyushu Island, on Wednesday morning, the weather agency here said.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the temblor, the second to hit the same area following a 5.4-magnitude earthquake rocking the region Wednesday morning, has not triggered a tsunami and as such no alerts or advisories have been issued.
The quake was centered offshore, with its epicenter at a latitude of 32.2 degrees north and a longitude of 132.2 degrees east, and occurred at a depth of 10 km, the JMA said.
The earthquake, which struck at 15:38 local time, was again centered in the Hyuga-nada Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean that lies off the eastern shore of Kyushu Island, to the southwest of the island of Honshu, off the south coast of Japan.
The latest offshore quake to hit the region may have been an aftershock from the quake that struck the region at 9:11 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning.
The earthquake logged 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7 in some areas of Miyazaki, and registered 3 in neighboring prefectures of Ehime, Kochi, Kumamoto and Oita, the JMA said.
There have been no immediate reports of major damage or injuries as a result of the offshore quake.
Japan's nuclear watchdog has not issued any warnings about irregularities or abnormalities at nuclear power plants located in regions affected by the quake.
