Japan shakes by strong aftershocks

A 6.1-magnitude aftershock last night rocked the northeastern coast of Japan, which is struggling with the aftermath of the March earthquake and tsunami.

A woman commemorating the victims of the double disaster in the city of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred at 0:58 am on 6 May local time, about 276km east of Sendai city on Honshu island. The earthquake center is located at a depth of 24km.

There are no reports of damage and casualties yet. The earthquake did not cause a tsunami warning.

The northeastern region of Japan is still overcoming the consequences of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11, which entails huge tsunamis. Nearly 14,000 people were killed in the double disaster and more than 13,000 people are still missing.

Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes in the disaster, while many others have been evacuated due to a series of explosions at the Fukushima I nuclear power plant, causing radioactive leaks. A series of strong aftershocks have occurred since then.