The Associated Press Nov 3, 2002 : 3:57 am ET

TOKYO (AP) -- An earthquake jolted northern Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings for several seconds. One woman was injured.

The magnitude-6.1 tremor was centered about 27 miles under the seabed off the coast of the northern Miyagi prefecture, the Meteorological Agency said.

A 66-year old woman in the city of Sendai suffered leg injuries after falling down a set of stairs, Sendai fire station official Masao Sugiyama said.

Travelers waited patiently in stalled trains as power outages temporarily suspended bullet-train service in some areas. Disruptions to train schedules were expected to continue into the evening, according to public broadcaster NHK television.

Noriko Miura, a cashier at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Monou, said buildings in the area swayed for more than 10 seconds and small items fell from shelves, but there appeared to be no structural damage.

There were no reports of damage to buildings or roads, said Kazuyoshi Saito, a police spokesman in the nearby city of Kessennuma.

Public broadcaster NHK television said bullet-train service in some areas was suspended.

There was no danger of tsunami, powerful waves caused by seismic activity, the agency said.

A magnitude 6 earthquake can inflict widespread damage in populated areas.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, sitting atop four tectonic plates.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2002