<p>A mysterious partial skull unearthed in Papua New Guinea in 1929 that once was thought to belong to an extinct human species now turns out to have another unique distinction. Scientists believe it belongs to the oldest-known human tsunami victim.</p>

<p>Researchers said on Wednesday that new examinations of the sediments where the 6,000-year-old skull was found detected hallmarks of a tsunami, with a composition remarkably similar to the remnants of a deadly 1998 tsunami that lashed the same area.</p>

<p>The skull was discovered near the town of Aitape, about 7 miles (12 km) inland from Papua New Guinea&#39;s northern coast. It is one of the earliest human remains from the island of New Guinea, and initially was mistaken for a species called Homo erectus that died out about 140,000 years ago. Later scientific dating revealed it was actually 6,000 years old.</p>

<p>&quot;As probably the oldest-known tsunami victim in the world, the Aitape skull speaks volumes about the long-term exposure of human populations along the world&#39;s coastlines and how such events in the past will have undoubtedly had fundamental effects on human migration, settlement and culture,&quot; said tsunami expert James Goff of the University of New South Wales in Australia.</p>

<p>The scientists examined geological deposits at the river-bed site where the skull was found, identifying clear signs of tsunami activity. They spotted microscopic organisms from the ocean in the sediment, similar to those found in soil after the 1998 tsunami.</p>

<p>&quot;We also employed chemistry and examined the size of sediment grains,&quot; finding they were indicative of a tsunami, said anthropologist-archaeologist Mark Golitko of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the Field Museum in Chicago.</p>

<p>Tsunamis, giant waves typically caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, are particularly dangerous natural disasters. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, caused by a massive earthquake off Sumatra, killed more than 230,000 people.</p>

<p>The 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami killed more than 2,000 people, wiped out villages, destroyed crops and forced many survivors to relocate. The tsunami 6,000 years ago apparently was similar.</p>

<p>&quot;Much like the 1998 tsunami, we suspect that one or more large waves very suddenly impacted the coast, washing near-shore villages and anyone living there further back into swamps and lagoons that dot the coast,&quot; Golitko said.</p>

<p>The skull was found without other bones. The researchers noted that in the 1998 tsunami, many victims were washed into lagoons and their bodies scavenged by crocodiles.</p>

<p>The research was published in the journal PLOS ONE.</p>


A mysterious partial skull unearthed in Papua New Guinea in 1929 that once was thought to belong to an extinct human species now turns out to have another unique distinction. Scientists believe it belongs to the oldest-known human tsunami victim.

A mysterious partial skull unearthed in Papua New Guinea in 1929 that once was thought to belong to an extinct human species now turns out to have another unique distinction. Scientists believe it belongs to the oldest-known human tsunami victim. Researchers said on Wednesday that new examinations of the sediments where the 6,000-year-old skull was found detected hallmarks of a tsunami, with a composition remarkably similar to the remnants of a deadly 1998 tsunami that lashed the same area. The skull was discovered near the town of Aitape, about 7 miles (12 km) inland from Papua New Guinea's northern coast. It is one of the earliest human remains from the island of New Guinea, and initially was mistaken for a species called Homo erectus that died out about 140,000 years ago. Later scientific dating revealed it was actually 6,000 years old. "As probably the oldest-known tsunami victim in the world, the Aitape skull speaks volumes about the long-term exposure of human populations along the world's coastlines and how such events in the past will have undoubtedly had fundamental effects on human migration, settlement and culture," said tsunami expert James Goff of the University of New South Wales in Australia. The scientists examined geological deposits at the river-bed site where the skull was found, identifying clear signs of tsunami activity. They spotted microscopic organisms from the ocean in the sediment, similar to those found in soil after the 1998 tsunami. "We also employed chemistry and examined the size of sediment grains," finding they were indicative of a tsunami, said anthropologist-archaeologist Mark Golitko of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the Field Museum in Chicago. Tsunamis, giant waves typically caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, are particularly dangerous natural disasters. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, caused by a massive earthquake off Sumatra, killed more than 230,000 people. The 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami killed more than 2,000 people, wiped out villages, destroyed crops and forced many survivors to relocate. The tsunami 6,000 years ago apparently was similar. "Much like the 1998 tsunami, we suspect that one or more large waves very suddenly impacted the coast, washing near-shore villages and anyone living there further back into swamps and lagoons that dot the coast," Golitko said. The skull was found without other bones. The researchers noted that in the 1998 tsunami, many victims were washed into lagoons and their bodies scavenged by crocodiles. The research was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Ancient Papua New Guinea skull called oldest-known tsunami victim

<p>In 2004, the tsunami, which was caused due to the earthquake in the Indian Ocean left a dark chapter in Indian history. Memories from that unfortunate event still haunt India. According to reports, in India, 10,749 people lost their lives and 5,640 are still missing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not to forget the recent Uttarakhand floods of 2013, which gave goosebumps to all those who were watching the rescue operations, videos and images live on their TV screens and on social media.</p>

<p>Also, the Gujarat earthquake that occurred in 2001 which claimed 25,000 lives and the super cyclone in&nbsp;Odisha that caused severe damage to human lives and property.</p>

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<h5>India became the first country to set up its own National Disaster Management Division.</h5>
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<p>Disasters natural or man-made are common throughout the world. It continues to occur without warning and the magnitude and frequency&nbsp;is intensifying with every new occurrence.</p>

<p>Even developed countries like the USA cannot save themselves from such&nbsp;disasters. In 2017, hurricane Maria had hit the northeastern coast of the USA, causing damage worth $51.2 billion.</p>

<p>Floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, hailstorms, droughts etc. are the most frequently occurring disasters in India. Recently, huge parts of the Indian region was submerged in water due to torrential rains causing immeasurable loss to&nbsp;the country.</p>

<p>The damage&nbsp;is not limited to only humans, animals are also affected by disasters. In 2017, Assam was affected badly by floods, there was a huge impact on endangered species especially on the one-horned rhino. Around 225 animals died in Kaziranga Nationa Park, 15 rhinos were found dead.</p>

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<h5>If a natural or man-made disaster hits Indian region, then are we ready?</h5>
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<p>Displacement of the population, scarcity of food, loss of property and houses, emotional aftershocks are few human impact of natural disasters. The poorly constructed buildings, rapid increase in population, lack of economic nets, poor forecast and late warnings are few of the reasons that are responsible for the large-scale destruction.</p>

<p>India is one of&nbsp;the world&#39;s most disaster-prone country due to its geo-climatic condition and large population. With&nbsp;every nation concentrating on disaster reduction, India recently set up its own National Disaster Management Division. For this attempt, India was praised by the UN.</p>

<p>But the question is:&nbsp;if a natural or man-made disaster hits the Indian region in the near future, then will we be ready? With every new shocking event, the percentage and degree of destruction is increasing manifolds. It&#39;s getting magnified due to the excessive loss of lives and property and poor assessment of the situation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If a stampede that broke out because of false rumour at the Prabhadevi railway station in Mumbai, which killed at least 23 people then, what an earthquake or a&nbsp;cyclone can&nbsp;do is unimaginable!</p>

<p>To decrease the impact of the disaster on human lives, it is very necessary to have proper knowledge about government policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management, also creating a network for disaster management is important.</p>

<p>It is impossible to curb the frequency of disasters but with proper initiative, pre-planning, accuracy in decision making through which the impact of a major disaster can be reduced.</p>


Developing a network for disaster management is important to reduce impact of disaster

In 2004, the tsunami, which was caused due to the earthquake in the Indian Ocean left a dark chapter in Indian history. Memories from that unfortunate event still haunt India. According to reports, in India, 10,749 people lost their lives and 5,640 are still missing. Not to forget the recent Uttarakhand floods of 2013, which gave goosebumps to all those who were watching the rescue operations, videos and images live on their TV screens and on social media. Also, the Gujarat earthquake that occurred in 2001 which claimed 25,000 lives and the super cyclone in Odisha that caused severe damage to human lives and property. India became the first country to set up its own National Disaster Management Division. × Disasters natural or man-made are common throughout the world. It continues to occur without warning and the magnitude and frequency is intensifying with every new occurrence. Even developed countries like the USA cannot save themselves from such disasters. In 2017, hurricane Maria had hit the northeastern coast of the USA, causing damage worth $51.2 billion. Floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, hailstorms, droughts etc. are the most frequently occurring disasters in India. Recently, huge parts of the Indian region was submerged in water due to torrential rains causing immeasurable loss to the country. The damage is not limited to only humans, animals are also affected by disasters. In 2017, Assam was affected badly by floods, there was a huge impact on endangered species especially on the one-horned rhino. Around 225 animals died in Kaziranga Nationa Park, 15 rhinos were found dead. If a natural or man-made disaster hits Indian region, then are we ready? × Displacement of the population, scarcity of food, loss of property and houses, emotional aftershocks are few human impact of natural disasters. The poorly constructed buildings, rapid increase in population, lack of economic nets, poor forecast and late warnings are few of the reasons that are responsible for the large-scale destruction. India is one of the world's most disaster-prone country due to its geo-climatic condition and large population. With every nation concentrating on disaster reduction, India recently set up its own National Disaster Management Division. For this attempt, India was praised by the UN. But the question is: if a natural or man-made disaster hits the Indian region in the near future, then will we be ready? With every new shocking event, the percentage and degree of destruction is increasing manifolds. It's getting magnified due to the excessive loss of lives and property and poor assessment of the situation. If a stampede that broke out because of false rumour at the Prabhadevi railway station in Mumbai, which killed at least 23 people then, what an earthquake or a cyclone can do is unimaginable! To decrease the impact of the disaster on human lives, it is very necessary to have proper knowledge about government policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management, also creating a network for disaster management is important. It is impossible to curb the frequency of disasters but with proper initiative, pre-planning, accuracy in decision making through which the impact of a major disaster can be reduced.

India needs to focus on disaster reduction management

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>People gather on a street in Mexico City during an earthquake. An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck southern Mexico late Thursday and was felt as far away as Mexico City. (AFP)</p>
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<p>The death toll in the earthquake which struck off southern Mexico overnight on Thursday has risen to six.&nbsp;A tsunami warning was issued immediately.</p>

<p>The two fatalities came in the southern state of Chiapas, interior minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told AFP. The quake hit off the coast of Chiapas.</p>

<p>The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.</p>

<p>As far as 14,000 km (8700 miles) away in the Philippines, the national disaster agency put the country&rsquo;s entire eastern seaboard on alert for a possible tsunami.</p>

<p>Mexico&#39;s interior ministry said the quake had a magnitude of 8.4, while the US Geological Survey put it at a revised 8.1, up from 8.0 initially.</p>

<p>Earlier reports said the earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale had hit&nbsp;off the southern coast of Mexico.</p>

<p>The earthquake shook&nbsp;buildings across the centre and south of the country, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>There were no immediate reports of major damage.</p>

<p>The epicentre was 123 km (76 miles) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan, at a depth of 33 km (21 miles). Widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.</p>

<p>&quot;Based on all available date ... widespread hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts,&quot; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.</p>

<p>&quot;Tsunami waves reaching more than three meters above the tide level are possible along the coasts of Mexico,&quot; it said, with lower waves in other countries.</p>

<p>The tsunami warning was for the coasts of Mexico, down through Central America into Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras, and as far south as &nbsp;Ecuador.</p>

<p>Mexico&#39;s civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">8.2 earthquake off Mexico coast via <a href="https://t.co/UFrwwrgV2d">pic.twitter.com/UFrwwrgV2d</a></p>
&mdash; NJL ?? ?? MEDIA ?? (@ANTI_ALP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANTI_ALP/status/906039054759636992">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mexico City earthquake sets off mysterious bright lights <a href="https://t.co/81VL9Wiwsk">https://t.co/81VL9Wiwsk</a> <a href="https://t.co/X7wwtVPkzr">pic.twitter.com/X7wwtVPkzr</a></p>
&mdash; Louise Stainton (@LouiseStaintonU) <a href="https://twitter.com/LouiseStaintonU/status/906034653856858116">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>People gather on a street in downtown Mexico City during an earthquake. (AFP)</p>
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<p>Mexico Earthquake (AFP)</p>
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The quake is strongest to hit the country since 1985

People gather on a street in Mexico City during an earthquake. An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck southern Mexico late Thursday and was felt as far away as Mexico City. (AFP) × The death toll in the earthquake which struck off southern Mexico overnight on Thursday has risen to six. A tsunami warning was issued immediately. The two fatalities came in the southern state of Chiapas, interior minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told AFP. The quake hit off the coast of Chiapas. The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. As far as 14,000 km (8700 miles) away in the Philippines, the national disaster agency put the country’s entire eastern seaboard on alert for a possible tsunami. Mexico's interior ministry said the quake had a magnitude of 8.4, while the US Geological Survey put it at a revised 8.1, up from 8.0 initially. Earlier reports said the earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale had hit off the southern coast of Mexico. The earthquake shook buildings across the centre and south of the country, Reuters reported. There were no immediate reports of major damage. The epicentre was 123 km (76 miles) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan, at a depth of 33 km (21 miles). Widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. "Based on all available date ... widespread hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. "Tsunami waves reaching more than three meters above the tide level are possible along the coasts of Mexico," it said, with lower waves in other countries. The tsunami warning was for the coasts of Mexico, down through Central America into Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras, and as far south as Ecuador. Mexico's civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands. 8.2 earthquake off Mexico coast via pic.twitter.com/UFrwwrgV2d — NJL ?? ?? MEDIA ?? (@ANTI_ALP) September 8, 2017 × Mexico City earthquake sets off mysterious bright lights https://t.co/81VL9Wiwsk pic.twitter.com/X7wwtVPkzr — Louise Stainton (@LouiseStaintonU) September 8, 2017 × People gather on a street in downtown Mexico City during an earthquake. (AFP) × Mexico Earthquake (AFP) ×

At least six dead as massive earthquake strikes off Mexico, tsunami warning issued

<p>A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 struck off the coast of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on Saturday, the country&#39;s seismology agency said, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was a risk of large waves as far away as Indonesia.</p>

<p>The Philippines Institute of volcanology and seismology said the earthquake was about 57 km southwest of Sarangani. It was felt in most parts of Mindanao, the biggest island in the south of the archipelago nation.</p>

<p>There were no initial reports of damage or casualties.</p>

<p>The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous waves could spread 300 km (190 miles) away from the epicentre.</p>

<p>But Renato Solidum, head of the Philippines seismology agency, told Reuters no tsunami warning was issued and there was no need to evacuate the areas affected.</p>

<p>But the agency had issued an advisory saying people could expect a minor drop in the sea level, large waves, and people should steer clear of the coast, he said.</p>

<p>The Philippines is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes, several last month in the main island of Luzon, which were felt in the capital Manila.</p>

<p>Janet Bongolan, tourism officer at the Tuka Marine Park in Sarangani province, said people spilled out of their homes and into the streets during the earthquake, but most had returned and there was no sign of panic.</p>

<p>&quot;There&#39;s no news here that there will be a tsunami. But we are watching out for aftershocks. We are careful here,&quot; she said by telephone.</p>

<p>Harry Camoro, a disaster official in Davao province, said people on the coast saw the waterline receding before retuning to normal.</p>

<p>&quot;It was strong enough to awaken me and my family,&quot; he told a radio interview.The US Geological Survey initially said the quake measured 7.2 but later downgraded it to 6.8.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous waves could spread 300 km away from the epicentre

A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 struck off the coast of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on Saturday, the country's seismology agency said, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was a risk of large waves as far away as Indonesia. The Philippines Institute of volcanology and seismology said the earthquake was about 57 km southwest of Sarangani. It was felt in most parts of Mindanao, the biggest island in the south of the archipelago nation. There were no initial reports of damage or casualties. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous waves could spread 300 km (190 miles) away from the epicentre. But Renato Solidum, head of the Philippines seismology agency, told Reuters no tsunami warning was issued and there was no need to evacuate the areas affected. But the agency had issued an advisory saying people could expect a minor drop in the sea level, large waves, and people should steer clear of the coast, he said. The Philippines is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes, several last month in the main island of Luzon, which were felt in the capital Manila. Janet Bongolan, tourism officer at the Tuka Marine Park in Sarangani province, said people spilled out of their homes and into the streets during the earthquake, but most had returned and there was no sign of panic. "There's no news here that there will be a tsunami. But we are watching out for aftershocks. We are careful here," she said by telephone. Harry Camoro, a disaster official in Davao province, said people on the coast saw the waterline receding before retuning to normal. "It was strong enough to awaken me and my family," he told a radio interview.The US Geological Survey initially said the quake measured 7.2 but later downgraded it to 6.8. (Reuters)

Strong 6.8 magnitude quake hits off Philippines, warning of large waves

<p dir="ltr">A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit off the Solomon Islands on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. There were no initial reports of casualties.</p>

<p>It struck at 4:38 am (1738 GMT Thursday) at a depth of 49 km (30 miles), the USGS said.</p>

<p dir="ltr">An initial tsunami warning in the region has been lifted.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The earthquake was at first&nbsp;reported to be of magnitude 8.0.</p>

<p dir="ltr">&quot;Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within the next three hours along some coasts of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and Kosrae,&quot; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had said earlier,</p>

<p dir="ltr">A tsunami warning for Hawaii was also lifted.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office director Loti Yates told Reuters he had received reports of collapsed buildings in villages in Makira, the island closest to the epicentre of the massive undersea quake.</p>

<p>Around 50,000 people are reported to be living in the Makira Province</p>

<p dir="ltr">&quot;Villages that we have made contact with have evacuated, actually most of the communities that we have spoken with had already evacuated,&quot; Yates told Reuters. &quot;They called us from the hills, which is good.&quot;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Yates said he had not received any reports of deaths.&nbsp;</p>

<p>John Pirimare, a resident on Nafinua Island, spoke to Reuters from up the hills where he evacuated immediately after the quake with around 500 to 600 villagers after they received the tsunami warning on their phones.</p>

<p dir="ltr">&quot;It was a great shock but no serious damage,&quot; Pirimare said. &quot;Most of the people went straight here; and we won&#39;t leave until the tsunami threat has passed.&quot;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Yates told Reuters that the authorities in the Solomons would start to assess the damage as morning dawned.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Australia said there was no risk to its coastlines. New Zealand cancelled a marine and beach threat warning.</p>

<p dir="ltr">(WION with inputs from Reuters)</p>


The were no initial reports of casualties but authorities say collapsed buildings have been reported from villages in Makira province

A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit off the Solomon Islands on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. There were no initial reports of casualties. It struck at 4:38 am (1738 GMT Thursday) at a depth of 49 km (30 miles), the USGS said. An initial tsunami warning in the region has been lifted. The earthquake was at first reported to be of magnitude 8.0. "Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within the next three hours along some coasts of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and Kosrae," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had said earlier, A tsunami warning for Hawaii was also lifted. Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office director Loti Yates told Reuters he had received reports of collapsed buildings in villages in Makira, the island closest to the epicentre of the massive undersea quake. Around 50,000 people are reported to be living in the Makira Province "Villages that we have made contact with have evacuated, actually most of the communities that we have spoken with had already evacuated," Yates told Reuters. "They called us from the hills, which is good." Yates said he had not received any reports of deaths. John Pirimare, a resident on Nafinua Island, spoke to Reuters from up the hills where he evacuated immediately after the quake with around 500 to 600 villagers after they received the tsunami warning on their phones. "It was a great shock but no serious damage," Pirimare said. "Most of the people went straight here; and we won't leave until the tsunami threat has passed." Yates told Reuters that the authorities in the Solomons would start to assess the damage as morning dawned. Australia said there was no risk to its coastlines. New Zealand cancelled a marine and beach threat warning. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Tsunami warning lifted after massive 7.7 earthquake hits Solomon Islands

<p>A powerful earthquake of magnitude of 7.8 struck off the coast of New Zealand at 1637 GMT 130 km north-east of Te Araroa, according to US Geological Survey (USGS).&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The civil authorities have ordered the evacuation of certain coastal areas over fears that the quake could trigger a tsunami.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;The first tsunami activity has arrived. Tsunami activity will continue for several hours,&quot; the Civil Defence organisation, responsible for national emergency management, AFP reports.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
There are no immediate reports of casualties or injuries.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
People took to Twitter to report how they were woken up by shaking, Reuters said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
There is no danger of tsunami on the Pacific coasts of the Americas, the US National Tsunami Warning Centre said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


The civil authorities have ordered the evacuation of some coastal areas. There are no immediate reports of casualties or injuries

A powerful earthquake of magnitude of 7.8 struck off the coast of New Zealand at 1637 GMT 130 km north-east of Te Araroa, according to US Geological Survey (USGS). The civil authorities have ordered the evacuation of certain coastal areas over fears that the quake could trigger a tsunami. "The first tsunami activity has arrived. Tsunami activity will continue for several hours," the Civil Defence organisation, responsible for national emergency management, AFP reports. There are no immediate reports of casualties or injuries. People took to Twitter to report how they were woken up by shaking, Reuters said. There is no danger of tsunami on the Pacific coasts of the Americas, the US National Tsunami Warning Centre said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

<p>A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Japan on Thursday morning &nbsp;but there were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued, Reuters reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 11:50 a.m. (0250 GMT), was in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency was quoted as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Japan, one of the world&#39;s most seismically active areas, accounts for about 20 per cent of the world&#39;s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, Reuters reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


No tsunami warning was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Japan on Thursday morning but there were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued, Reuters reported. The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 11:50 a.m. (0250 GMT), was in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency was quoted as saying. Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas, accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

5.3 magnitude quake rattles eastern Japan?

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