9 Mar 2011

Tokyo rattles from 7.2 quake

10:49 pm on 9 March 2011

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake centred off the coast of Japan has shaken buildings in the capital Tokyo.

A tsunami warning was issued for northeastern Japan.

The quake's epicentre was 160km off the coast at a depth of 10km.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the most seismically active areas in the world. The country accounts for a fifth of all earthquakes above 6 on the Richter scale.