Strong Quake Hits Off Southern Japan

A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's southern Kyushu island on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The epicenter of the quake -- which struck at 2:06 am (1706 GMT Thursday) -- was located 13 kilometers (eight miles) north of the city of Kunisaki-shi, USGS said.

The quake struck at a depth of 82 kilometers.

There was no immediate warning message issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

More than 18,000 people died when a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake sent a towering tsunami barreling into Japan's northeast coast in March 2011 in the country's worst post-World War II disaster.

Cooling systems at the Fukushima nuclear plant were knocked out, sending reactors into meltdown and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.