Quake jolts Japan's Kumamoto, no tsunami or reports of damage

Passengers crowd at Kumamoto station after Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended due to an earthquake in Kumamoto, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo January 3, 2019. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 hit southern Japan on Thursday but no tsunami warning was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake, which struck at 6:10 p.m. (0910 GMT), was centered in Kumamoto prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), JMA said.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that nuclear power facilities in the region were operating as normal.

Staff members of disaster countermeasures headquarters operate after an earthquake at Kumamoto Prefectural Government Office in Kumamoto, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo January 3, 2019. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher)