Kathmandu. At least four people were injured when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency and the local fire department issued a statement saying that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 44 kilometers off the Pacific coast of Iwate Prefecture.

According to the local fire department of Hasikami and Hachinohe, four injured people have been taken to the hospital for treatment. The department has asked the public to be alert for earthquakes at the high level of the Japanese Seismic Intensity Scale for the next week. Japan is known as a nation at risk of high seismic activity due to its location on the edge of four tectonic plates and the presence of 100 active volcanoes.

Earlier in 2011, more than 15,000 people were killed due to the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.