7.4 magnitude earthquake jolts Northern Japan near Fukushima, Tsunami alert issued

The earthquake was realized in Tokyo and centered off the coast of Fukushima prefecture by about 10 kilometers,

Updated: November 22, 2016 7:14 AM IST

By Deepak Gupta

7.4 magnitude earthquake jolts Northern Japan near Fukushima, Tsunami alert issued

A powerful earthquake shook Northern Japan on Tuesday, November 22, generating a tsunami told Japan Meteorological Agency. The tsunami generated due to currents of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake has temporarily affected Fukushima nuclear plant. The earthquake was realized in Tokyo and centered off the coast of Fukushika prefecture by about 10 kilometers, the agency reported. Fukushima prefecture borders the Pacific Ocean and is to the northeast of the nation’s capital city of Tokyo. The epicenter of the quake was at a latitude of 37.3 degrees north and a longitude of 141.6 degrees east and occurred at depth of 60km, said the agency.

Japan`s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the cooling system at a nuclear reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant had been started again after shutting it temporarily. “We received a report that there was no problem at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant,” Reuters quoted Suga said at a news conference. A tsunami wave of up to 3 feet had been observed around Fukushima after the quake hit Japan at 5:59 a.m. Warning of tsunami have been issued, waves of up to 10 feet might be approaching. Suga also urged residents to evacuate to safer ground for prevention from lurking disaster.

In the wake of the March 2011 disaster and following tsunami threats, all nuclear plants on the coast are shutdown. The 2011 tsunami knocked out Tokyo Electric Power Co`s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, spreading radiation into the air and sea. Till now, no other damage from the Tuesday quake has been confirmed at any of its power plants. However, certain areas have reported of blackouts.

A video surfaced right after the earthquake hit. The video captured siren sounds in Fukushima, alerting the city and its people about tsunami.

Currently, two reactors in the soutwest of Japan are operational. Cooling systems at Nuclear plants needs to be functional even when the plants are shutdown and keep the fuel cool while being consumed.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest World News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.