Strong Earthquakes Jolt Northern Japan

Two strong earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.9 and 6.2 shook northern Japan today, injuring at least 21 people, rattling buildings, bursting pipes and bringing trains to a halt.

The first, stronger quake occurred at 7:38 a.m. (2:38 p.m. PST Friday) and was centered 19 miles below the sea bed off the coast of Iwate state, about 370 miles northeast of Tokyo, the Central Meteorological Agency reported.

Four hours later, the smaller quake, with the same epicenter, jolted the region, but no injuries or damage were reported.