Strong earthquake hits Japan; possible casualties and damage

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Authorities are looking into possible casualties and damage after a strong earthquake hit Friday afternoon near central Japan. The quake struck at 2:42 p.m. Friday in Ishikawa prefecture near the central west coast of the main Japanese island of Honshu. The Japan Meteorological Agency put the preliminary magnitude at 6.3, then raised it to 6.5. The agency measured the depth around 7.5 miles. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said five people have been reported hurt. The government said there were no reports of any problems at the two major nuclear facilities in the area. There were also no reports of a tsunami threat.