A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Japan’s Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures giving a spark to Tsunami waves of more than 1 meter. The US Geological Survey initially put the magnitude of Earthquake at 7.3 but later changed it to 6.9 which is lower than what Japanese authorities have given.
The earthquake has also disrupted cooling function at Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Officials said that there is no sign of damage to the plant this time. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake hits northern region at around 6:00 AM in the morning.
There are some reports of minor injuries and damage. Tsunami waves of up to 1.4 meters have been reported around Sendai, 70km from Fukushima. Local Residents are being evacuated to higher places, with warnings of waves up to 3 meter.
The same region was devastated by a massive earthquake, tsunami in 2011, killing more than 18,000 people. Japan Meteorological Agency says that this tremor is an aftershock of the 2011 earthquake. They also told that, Tuesday’s earthquake depth has been estimated to be 30km (18.6 miles) and could be felt as long as 100 miles. Building in Tokyo, which is around 100 miles south of Fukushima, shook for at least 30 seconds.
Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active region which accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquake. The highest magnitude quake of 9.0 was recorded in 2011.