A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the region of Honshu in eastern Japan. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake shook the country’s eastern coast on Saturday. However, no casualties have been reported so far.
The country’s state-run broadcaster, the NHK, has warned people along the Honshu coast that a one-meter-high tsunami is expected in Miyagi prefecture.
The quake was felt in Miyagi at 6:27 a.m. local time on Saturday, GFZ said. The magnitude on the Richter scale was 6.2 and the depth was 60 km.
The NHK reports that Tohoku Electric Power Company has shut down the Onagawa nuclear plant following the strong quake on Saturday and is monitoring whether any adverse conditions are developing.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said it was investigating the condition of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi power plant. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, caused by a powerful earthquake in 2011 and then a tsunami, is a major nuclear disaster in Japan.
The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was issued. The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was issued.
