TOKYO, Dec. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 jolted the Chuetsu region in northeast Japan's Niigata Prefecture on Tuesday evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

    There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake, which occurred around 6:30 p.m. (0930 GMT). No tsunami warning was issued.

    The quake measured a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7in the Sumon district in the city of Uonuma in central Niigata Prefecture, and 4 in the town of Koshiji, and Hirokami and Irihirose districts in Uonuma.

    The focus of the earthquake was 10 km underground in Chuetsu.

    According to Tokyo Electric Power Co., the earthquake did not affect its reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in the prefecture along the Sea of Japan.

    East Japan Railway Co. said its Shinkansen bullet train service has been suspended between some stations following the latest earthquake.

    Tuesday is the first day that full services of the Shinkansen resumed in the prefecture since the three strong quakes hit the area two months ago and caused the derailment of a bullet train.

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