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What we know so far
- A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima – the site of 2011’s devastating 9.0 quake and resulting tsunami – at Tuesday 5.59am local time (Monday 8.59pm GMT).
- The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was an aftershock to the 2011 earthquake, the largest since that quake’s immediate aftershocks.
- The JMA warned that another large quake could be expected within the next few days, and people in the region have been advised to “remain cautious” for the next week.
- Tsunami warnings were issued for the Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, with waves at Sendai port recorded at 1.4m high. The warnings have since been downgraded, before being cancelled, although residents are still advised to avoid the shore.
- At the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, the reactor number 3 spent fuel pool pump stopped operating at 6.10am as a result of the quake. Operation resumed at 7.49am and the plant is reported to be safe and “intact”.
- So far, at least people are reported to have suffered minor injuries in the quake. No deaths have been reported.
- Nissan is suspending work at its Fukushima factory, while flights to and from Sendai airport have been disrupted.
- Decommissioning work at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, destroyed in the 2011 quake, has been temporarily suspended.
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Aftershock or new earthquake?
Japan has downgraded tsunami warnings issued after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the country’s east coast, as the risk of major damage appeared to pass.
The quake, which struck east of Fukushima prefecture at about 6am on Tuesday, prompted urgent warnings for people to leave low-lying areas in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures as a series of tsunami waves hit the shore.
The warnings allowed for the possibility of waves of up to 3m (10 feet) along the country’s north-east Pacific coast, but the highest recorded wave, of 1.4m (4.6 feet), was observed at Sendai port shortly after 8am.
The tsunami warnings in Fukushima and Miyagi were downgraded to the less severe status of advisories nearly four hours after the initial quake, although people were still urged to stay away from coastal areas. Similar tsunami advisories also remained in place in Iwate and Ibaraki prefectures.
There were no reports of severe injuries from the quake, which struck at a depth of 30km (18.6 miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The same region was hit by a series of weaker quakes in the following few hours.
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