M4.4 earthquake near Sarubetsu, Hokkaido

What happened

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck 17 km E of Otofuke, Japan on 14 Mar 2016, 20:31 UTC at a depth of 119 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Light. Widely felt nearby; objects may shake or fall. Significant damage is unusual. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.

The nearest town in our records is Sarubetsu, about 17 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.