A magnitude-8.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, triggering tsunami and evacuation alerts on April 14th. The quake registered as a strong 7 in some areas, and caused panic among residents who were not warned about potential risks beforehand. two people have died so far from the natural disaster.
Earthquake in Japan:
A large earthquake struck north-east Japan, killing at least two people and injuring 160 others, although the damage was minor.
2 million households lost electricity at first, and the bullet train derailed, although no passengers were hurt.
On Thursday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency removed the tsunami warning. An earthquake of a magnitude of 7.4 struck the same location as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, but no damage was reported, according to authorities.
The earthquake was so powerful in some regions that people were unable to stand, and buildings in Tokyo rocked.
The quake struck at 23:36 (14:36 GMT) on Wednesday at a depth of 57 kilometers, according to Japanese authorities (35.4 miles).
Aftershocks have been reported in the prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi, and Yamagata.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a 1 meter (3.3 ft) tsunami warning for a stretch of the northeast coast shortly after the incident, however the warning was lifted Thursday morning when a one-third of the wave’s height hit the shore. Was taken off the market.
Various people were injured by falling objects or in falls around north-eastern Japan, and local media in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, reported that one man in his sixties had died. In Miyagi Prefecture, a subsequent passage was recorded.
According to certain media reports, four people died as a result of the earthquake, although government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno claimed the number of deaths directly caused by it was still being confirmed.
Power was abruptly interrupted to more than 2.2 million houses in 14 prefectures, including the Tokyo district, although most regions had power restored by early the next day, according to a neighboring power provider.
Those on board a slug train that was smashed by the shudder north of Fukushima city had a lucky exit — it was not travelling fast, thus no one was hurt.
Travelers and crew were held on board for four hours before being allowed to leave.
Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, had told journalists that the government was seeking to assess the extent of any damage, and experts claimed crisis management centers had been inundated with calls.
Tokyo’s buildings shook for more than two minutes. The tremors were far more powerful further north in Fukushima.
A municipal official in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, told the AFP news agency that he was awakened by “quite violent shaking.”
“I heard thunder on the ground.” Instead of being terrified, I suddenly remembered the Great East Japan earthquake,” he added, referring to the disaster in 2011.
The earthquake that slammed Japan on Thursday occurred about 60 kilometers off the coast of Fukushima, not far from the epicenter of the country’s most devastating quake, which killed 18,000 people 11 years ago.
The 2011 earthquake triggered a tidal wave that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power facility, igniting a major disaster as radiation flowed from the plant.
After Wednesday night’s seismic earthquake at the stricken Fukushima site, atomic experts stated no abnormalities had been discovered.
