TOKYO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 on Wednesday struck near the Japanese prefecture of Ibaraki just east of Tokyo, the country's weather agency said.
The temblor occurred at 8:40 p.m. local time at a depth of 60 km, measuring 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of the prefecture, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The epicenter was located off northern Ibaraki prefecture at a latitude of 36.5 degrees north and a longitude of 140.6 degrees east.
The tremors were felt in central Tokyo.
With no tsunami warning issued following the earthquake, it was not immediately clear if the powerful quake had caused injuries or damage. ■