Tokyo, Dec 7 (IBNS): A tsunami warning was lifted and little damage reported after a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Japan on Friday, bringing back memories of last year’s deadly disaster that spawned a huge nuclear crisis.
The earthquake struck 10 kilometres beneath the seabed and 240 km offshore just after 5 p.m. local time, followed by several aftershocks, triggering a tsunami warning and evacuation orders in seven cities.
Tsunami waves were recorded in at least five different locations, with the largest in Ishinomaki measuring at 3 feet, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency while the quake itself measured 5 on the 1-7 Japanese seismic scale.
Several people along the northeastern coast were reportedly injured while buildings in Tokyo swayed for at least several minutes after the earthquake.
No damage has been reported at monitoring posts and water treatment facilities at the reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, that was devastated by last year’s quake and tsunami, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said.
About 19,000 people were killed and some 325,000 people remain displaced from their homes after last year’s magnitude-9.0 earthquake, which triggered a tsunami that triggered to 20 metre-high tsunami waves high in some areas, ravaging dozens of coastal communities.
