Earthquake of 7.2 magnitude shakes Japan, no major damage reported
A strong earthquake struck Saturday off northern Japan, shaking buildings even in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of the northern coast. No major damage was reported, but several people had minor injuries.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the strength of the quake at magnitude 7.0 and depth at 54 kilometers (33.5 miles). The shaking started just before 6:10 p.m.
Tsunami waves of up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) hit land shortly after the earthquake, local television channel NHK reported.
As a precaution, nearly 7,000 residents of the town of Watari were evacuated.
The quake was centered off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, in the country’s rugged northeast, which was heavily damaged during the huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011 that left more than 18,000 people dead.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued an advisory for a tsunami up to 1 meter (yard) in height for Miyagi prefecture immediately after the quake, but lifted it about 90 minutes later.
Officials there said there were no immediate reports of damage.
Saturday’s earthquake came not long after the country marked 10 years since the deadly 9.0-magnitude quake on March 11, 2011, also affecting the Miyagi region.
The event a decade ago led to a catastrophic triple disaster as a disastrous tsunami was unleashed and the Fukushima nuclear plant went into meltdown.
Many people were injured last month when another strong earthquake struck.
Japan is on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area along the edge of the Pacific ocean which is characterized by strong seismic activity.
Construction regulations in Japan mean that buildings must be built to withstand frequent earthquakes.
Source- DW News
