TOKYO: At least four people were injured after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency and local fire departments said in a statement that the quake occurred off the Pacific coast of Iwate Prefecture at a depth of 44 kilometers.

According to local fire departments in Hashikami and Hachinohe, four people, including teenagers and people in their 50s, were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The agency urged the public to remain alert for earthquakes measuring upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale over the next week.

Japan is located at the intersection of four tectonic plates, making it particularly vulnerable to seismic activity. It is also home to 100 active volcanoes.

In 2011, an earthquake of 9.0-magnitude rocked Japan and triggered a tsunami, killing more than 15,000 people, and causing a disaster at Fukushima nuclear plant.