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6.7 magnitude quake strikes off northern Japan's coast, prompts local tsunami advisory

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake occurred Friday afternoon local time off the northern coast of Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The earthquake comes after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the same region earlier this week. 

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centered about 70 miles northeast of Hachinohe in the Aomori prefecture. It occurred at a depth of about 6.65 miles, the USGS said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for portions of Japan's Pacific coast.

No tsunami alerts were issued for the West Coast of the U.S. or Hawaii.  

Monday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Aomori caused at least 34 injuries and damaged roads and buildings. It also triggered a tsunami of up to 28 inches in some Pacific coast communities. 

It prompted Japan on Tuesday to issue a megaquake advisory. The government estimated that an offshore megaquake could cause a tsunami of up to 98 feet and kill nearly 200,000 people.

Officials on Tuesday said the advisory was not a prediction, and the probability of a magnitude 8 or larger quake was only about 1%. But there was hope the advisory would serve as a wake-up call for a quake that could have the devastation of the 2011 disaster that killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed a nuclear plant.

Monday's quake temporarily increased potential risks in the regions of Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast. That's where the Pacific Plate beneath Japan forms the two trenches — the Japan Trench and Chishima Trench — that have caused many large quakes in the past.

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect that the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory, not a tsunami warning.  

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