Strong quake hits Hokkaido

Tokyo, Aug. 11 (Jiji Press) — A strong earthquake hit Hokkaido, northern Japan, in the small hours of Thursday, measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on Japan’s seismic intensity scale.

The quake with an estimated magnitude of 5.3 occurred around 12:53 a.m. (3:53 p.m. Wednesday GMT) at the depth of about 10 kilometers in the northern part of the Soya area in northern Hokkaido, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The reading of upper 5 was registered in the town of Nakagawa.

Northern Soya also had a major quake around 12:35 a.m., measuring lower 5 in Nakagawa.