Strong quake hits southwestern Japan, no major damage reported

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake jolted Kumamoto and nearby prefectures in southwestern Japan on Saturday afternoon but there were no tsunami warnings or immediate reports of major damage.The quake, which registered a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the town of Nagomi, occurred around 2:16 p.m. at a depth of around 10 kilometers, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.The temblor follows a M5.1 quake that struck the town and surrounding areas earlier this month with the Japanese intensity of lower 6."The shaking lasted only briefly. Nothing fell off the shelves," a t…READ FULL ARTICLE