By Ranjan Bhaduri
Okinawa, Japan, Feb 27, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Early Saturday, the residents of Okinawa region and adjacent areas in Southern Japan felt an earthquake that alarmed the geologists. The quake recorded 6.9 on the Richter scale as has been reported by Geological Survey of USA. It took place at the wee hours of the morning. The epicenter of the quake was 85 km from the island of Okinawa, at the Ryukyu Islands as sources have revealed. However, the geologists are worried that a tsunami may hit the Japanese coastland as an after effect of the quake and this has kept them on tenterhooks. Therefore, Tsunami warning has been issued in the area as the reports suggest.

Evacuation is in progress in Okinawa seashore owing to the possibility of the tsunami. The earthquake did not damage the Okinawa marine base. However, the National Weather Service is not of the opinion that a Tsunami can hit the US west coast owing to the Okinawa quake. Incidentally, the Japanese coast region which is witness to several quakes of varying magnitude experienced the last severe quake on February 7th. After the quake subsided, it was reported that two aged women had sustained injuries. Some government agencies have downplayed the chance of Tsunami though they say that smaller waves can hit the seashore.

Minor property damage owing to the quake has been reported though no human casualties have taken place. Japan is located in a quake prone region and it is also surrounded by a range of active and semi active volcanoes. Therefore, quakes and Tsunamis are an integral part of its existence. However, the Okinawa Quake is not among the deadly ones.