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A strong earthquake has hit parts of Japan devastated by the tsunami 10 years ago, which killed thousands of people.
The earthquake struck the coast about 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of Tokyo shortly after 6 p.m. local time (9 a.m. UK) and had a magnitude of 7, the USGS said. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.2.
There were warnings that it had generated a one meter high tsunami and people have been told not to go near the shore.
The Onagawa nuclear plant, just eight miles (12 km) from the epicenter, was stopped, but the country’s nuclear regulator said it has not found any irregularities.
Tokyo Electric Power said the company also checked the Fukushima Dai-Ichi power plant that was destroyed by the massive earthquake in March 2011, which caused nuclear meltdowns and the surrounding area was left deserted. Nor did he find any irregularities.
And a spokesperson said there were no irregularities at the company’s nearby Daini facilities.
Several of the cities in Miyagi Prefecture, including Onagawa and Ishinomaki, were severely affected by the 2011 tsunami and the magnitude 9 earthquake and have taken years to recover.
Miyagi Prefecture is said to have been experiencing power outages in some areas, and at least one of the bullet trains running through Japan at high speed has stopped.
Shizue Onodera told NHK from the store where she works in Ishinomaki city: “It was a long and very strong shaking from side to side. It was even longer than the earthquake last month, but at least the building here is upright, “
“Many bottles were smashed on the ground,” he said.
Images from inside NHK’s Sendai office, about 40 miles (65 km) from the epicenter, showed a plaque suspended from the ceiling shaking for about 30 seconds.
The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo about 250 miles (400 km) south of the epicenter.
An estimated 20,000 people lost their lives in the 2011 disaster. Just a week ago, on the current 10th anniversary, it was reported that a hotel in Minamisanriku, one of the worst affected cities in 2011 and only 15 miles (25 km) from last earthquake, offered tours of the former disaster area. .
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