Major quakes hit northeastern Japan, minor tsunami observed

Earthquakes with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 and 5.7 struck the Pacific off northeastern Japan on Tuesday, with slight tidal waves observed in some coastal areas following the first temblor, according to Kyodo News Agency.
The first quake occurred at 8:06 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean about 210 kilometers east of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, at a depth of around 10 km and registered 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Akita prefectures.
Before a tsunami advisory was lifted later in the morning, a 20-centimeter wave was observed at Kuji port in Iwate roughly an hour later and a 10-cm wave in Miyako, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Evacuation orders were temporarily issued in parts of Iwate, including the city of Kuji, for people near the coast. No injuries or damage to buildings from the quake has been reported, according to the government.
The second quake, which hit at 1:46 p.m., originated off the Iwate coast at a depth of around 50 km and registered upper 5 in some areas of Aomori and lower 5 in parts of Iwate, but no tsunami warning was issued this time.