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North Korea 'earthquake' amid nuclear test fears | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Seismic activity has been detected in North Korea, several nations say, in what could be a sign of a widely-anticipated nuclear test. | |
The US Geological Survey said it had detected a tremor with a 4.9 magnitude. | The US Geological Survey said it had detected a tremor with a 4.9 magnitude. |
South Korean media also reported a "man-made earthquake" in its northern neighbour. | South Korean media also reported a "man-made earthquake" in its northern neighbour. |
North Korea said last month it was planning to carry out its third nuclear test - despite a threat from the UN Security Council of "consequences". | |
The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of 1km. It put the epicentre close to North Korea's known nuclear test site in the northeast of the country. | |
China's Earthquake Administration described it as a "suspected explosion", AFP reported. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the tremor was "different from a normal earthquake". | |
"We believe that there is a possibility that North Korea carried out a nuclear test, looking at past cases," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. | |
Yonhap news agency says South Korea has raised its military alert in response to the quake. Japan says it will hold a meeting of its national security council, public broadcaster NHK reported. | |
North Korea is not prone to seismic activity. It conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, each time after rocket launches condemned by the UN as disguised tests of long-range missile technology. | |
It announced in January that it planned to conduct a "high-level" nuclear test, in response to expanded UN sanctions imposed after its latest rocket launch on 12 December 2012. | |
That rocket launch successfully put a satellite into orbit, in an apparent breakthrough for the North. | |
There has been no word yet from North Korea on what has taken place. | |
The US, South Korea and Japan had all warned Pyongyang not to go ahead with a third nuclear test. China, North Korea's closest ally and biggest trading partner, had also called for restraint. |