North Korea is suspected of carrying out its fifth test of a nuclear bomb after a 5.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded near to its test site.

It happened at 9.30am local time on Friday and had a zero depth, with an epicentre 11 miles from Sungjibaegam in the northeastern part of the county.

South Korea’s president was holding a National Security Council meeting as the country’s military convened a crisis management team.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that a suspected nuclear test by North Korea could not be tolerated and that Japan would protest strongly to Pyongyang if confirmed.

Meanwhile China’s environment ministry said it has begun emergency radiation monitoring along border regions in northeastern China.