7.0 Earthquake Hits Off The Coast Of Japan

TOKYO -A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Ryukyu Islands early Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Soon after the 5:31 a.m. (3:31 p.m. Friday ET) quake, Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory, recommending that people on the Okinawa Islands evacuate from the seashore. The advisory also affected the Amami Islands and Tokara Islands.

The agency said the expected tsunami height was about 0.5 meters, or 20 inches.

The quake was centered about 6 miles (10 km) deep, about 53 miles (85 km) from Okinawa.

The quake was felt on Okinawa, with shaking that lasted about 15 seconds, said Lt. Col. Daniel King of the U.S. Pacific Command.

He told CNN that commanders in Japan and Hawaii were trying to get damage and casualty reports from U.S. military stations on Okinawa but had heard nothing in the immediate aftermath.

About 20,000 U.S. troops — mostly Marines, along with Navy and Air Force personnel — are stationed on eight bases on Okinawa, he said.