Powerful Earthquake Strikes Fukushima, Japan
A powerful earthquake that hit Japan on Saturday was an aftershock of the devastating 9.0 magnitude quake; that struck the same area almost 10 years ago; according to the National Meteorological Agency.
The earthquake had a 7.3 magnitude and its epicenter was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of 60 km (36 miles); the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It shook buildings for some time after it hit, shortly after 11:00 p.m.
Saturday’s quake took place in the same area as the March 11, 2011, earthquake that caused the country’s worst nuclear disaster on record; when three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant melted down, releasing radioactive materials into the air.
More than 20,000 people died or went missing in the 2011 quake and tsunami; while hundreds of thousands more lost their homes. More than 100,000 people were evacuated from the area.
Japan just experienced a terrifying magnitude 7.2 earthquake. Praying for everyone’s safety!#PrayForJapan
— zee base⁷ (@zygmaund) February 13, 2021
Authorities have spent the past ten years cleaning up the area — a massive effort that experts say will take another few decades to complete.
Early Sunday morning; Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reassured the public that “no abnormalities” have been reported at any of the nuclear plants in the region after Saturday’s quake.
Later Speaking to reporters; Suga said the damage is still being assessed and asked residents in the affected area to stay indoors and be prepared for aftershocks.
The earthquake triggered landslides and uprooted sections of a major expressway, affecting both prefectures. Embankments along the road collapsed, covering the road and burying guardrails in mud, NHK reported.
About 850,000 households in the Kanto and Tohoku regions, which include greater Tokyo, lost power after the quake, NHK reported.
