Strong earthquake shook Fukushima

Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. It was initially not known whether there was damage to the nuclear ruins in Fukushima. The strong and long-lasting earthquake was also felt in Tokyo. A bullet train derailed in the Miyagi Prefecture region, NHK broadcaster reported.

A reporter reported that there were power outages in the Japanese capital. The broadcaster NHK initially gave the strength of the earthquake as 7.3. The authorities had ordered an evacuation for parts of the coastal region in Miyagi Prefecture, reported a 20 centimeter high tsunami had arrived in the port city of Ishinomaki in the northeast of the country.

The weather agency warned of a tidal wave up to one meter high. Power outages also occurred in Fukushima, local media reported. The government in Tokyo set up an emergency staff.

The severe earthquake in the north-east suddenly brought back memories of the devastating catastrophe eleven years ago. On March 11, 2011, a gigantic tsunami hit the Pacific coast and flattened everything: towns, villages and huge areas of cultivation sank under the masses of water and mud. The flood killed around 20,000 people. In Fukushima, the result was a super meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It became the symbol of the triple disaster known as “3/11” all over the world – even if none of the deaths are attributed to radiation.

A review:

The operator Tepco is checking whether the renewed strong tremor caused irregularities, it said. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.