TOKYO, September 3. /TASS/. Unusual seismic activity in North Korea indicates that the country probably carried out its sixth nuclear test, Japan’s NHK TV reported on Sunday.
The Kamchatka office of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said a 6.4-magnitude earthquake was registered in North Korea on Sunday morning.
The US Geological Survey, in its turn, said its equipment recorded a 6.3-magnitude tremor with the epicenter at the depth of 0 km. According to the agency, the seismic activity was recorded near the previous nuclear test site.
The Japanese government said it recorded a 6.1-magnitude earthquake, with an epicenter at the depth of less than 1 km, at 6:29 Moscow time.
An emergency panel was set up at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office. Its experts are currently involved in gathering and analyzing all available information.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that his country would maintain close contact with the United States, South Korea, China and Russia on the issue.
"We are gathering and analyzing all the required information. I have already ordered to maintain close contact with the United States, South Korea, Russia and China," he said.
North Korea, in its turn, said it was National Security Council will convene to analyze the matter, the Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korean intelligence earlier reported that North Korean authorities have completed preparations for a nuclear test at two underground tunnels at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northeast of the country.
North Korea carried out five nuclear tests in the past years - in 2006, 2009, 2013 and two in 2016. In response, the UN Security Council imposed more sanctions on Pyongyang. South Korean military officials said this March that North Korea was preparing to test a new type of a nuclear bomb.