Quake off Japan, of false nuke test report

WASHINGTON, Oct 11: The US Geological Survey said it had detected a 5.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast off northern Japan and a US official said the temblor appeared to be the source of speculation that North Korea had tested another nuclear device.

The USGS said the quake at 9:58 am Japan time (2358 GMT), was about 200 miles (320 km) northeast of Tokyo, off the northeast coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, at a depth of 18.7 miles (30 km).

The earthquake may have triggered the speculation about a possible nuclear test by North Korea, which neither Japan nor the United States could confirm.

A senior Bush administration official, responding to a reporter's query about a possible second nuclear weapons test in North Korea, said that was apparently a false report.

''I've just been told it was a false alarm, an earthquake,'' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

North Korea announced it had conducted an underground nuclear test on Monday. The possibility of a second North Korean nuclear test was first aired by Japanese national broadcaster NHK.

REUTERS