6.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Japan’s Volcano Islands

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Japan’s remote Volcano Islands on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The tremor occurred at approximately 12:55 p.m. local time (0355 GMT). Initial assessments indicated no immediate reports of casualties, structural damage or tsunami threats linked to the quake.

The Volcano Islands are situated roughly 1,250 kilometres south of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean. The isolated island chain has no civilian population and is largely uninhabited.

One of the islands, Iwo Jima, hosts a small Japanese military presence. The island is historically known as the site of a major World War II battle between Japanese and U.S. forces.

Japan sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” one of the world’s most seismically active zones, and experiences frequent earthquakes of varying intensity.