Quake jolts Japanese island

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of seven hit the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido yesterday, injuring at least one person, but officials lifted a tsunami warning issued after the quake hit at 1415 GMT. There were no reports of major damage.

Public broadcaster NHK said there were reports of power outages, but electricity was quickly restored and a nuclear power plant in the area was operating normally.

Some train services had been halted for checks, it added. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the focus of the quake was about 50 kilometres below the sea off the east coast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island.

NHK quoted one official as saying a small vertical tremor hit first, followed by a stronger sideways shock.

"First there was a small shock and then it shook strongly," said Minoru Suzuki, an official in the Kushiro city government.

A nine-year old boy was injured by broken glass, NHK said. The quake follows a 7.1 magnitude tremor that hit Hokkaido on November 29, injuring more than 20 people.