TOKYO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a preliminarymagnitude of 7.0 hit Japan's northernmost Hokkaido region Thursday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, which issued an alert of mild tsunami seismic waves along the Pacific coast of northern Japan.

The focus of the quake, which occurred at 9:21 a.m. (0021 GMT),was located some 20 km under the sea off the Hokkaido's Tokachi region, said the agency.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to properties.

Some 10,000 local residents, however, were advised to evacuate in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of Japan's main island of Honshu following the tsunami warning.

Local authorities are carrying out safety checks on public transport facilities such as airports and railways in Hokkaido to pinpoint any damage.
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