[ad_1]
Residents in northeastern Japan cleaned up clutter and debris from shops and homes on Sunday after a strong earthquake triggered a landslide on a highway, damaged buildings and parts of bullet train lines, and caused power outages for thousands of people.
The 7.3-magnitude earthquake on Saturday night (local time) shook the earthquake-prone areas of Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures that 10 years ago had been affected by a powerful earthquake that triggered a tsunami and a collapse in a nuclear power plant.
More than 140 people suffered mostly minor injuries, many of them from falling objects and cuts when stepping on broken glass. Three people were confirmed seriously injured, but there were no reports of deaths, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said.
Hironori Asakawa
A landslide caused by a strong earthquake covers a circuit in Nihonmatsu city, Fukushima prefecture, northeast Japan.
Tokyo Electric Power Co, the utility company that operates the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant that was hit by the March 2011 disaster, said the water used to cool the spent fuel rods near the reactors had spilled due to shaking. But there were no radiation leaks or other irregularities, TEPCO said.
READ MORE:
* Strong earthquake shakes northwestern Japan, but no major damage is reported
* Video: 7.4 earthquake causes tsunamis in Japan
* ‘Race against time’ to find survivors after the earthquakes in Japan
* Strong earthquakes hit southern Japan: nine dead, dozens injured, nuclear plants safe
The earthquake did not trigger a tsunami because the epicenter was deep 55 kilometers under the ocean.
Noriko Kamaya, a spokesperson for the Japan Meteorological Agency, told a press conference that the earthquake is considered to be a replica of the magnitude 9.1 earthquake in 2011.
Yohei nishimura
Collapsed rocks block a road after a strong earthquake struck the city of Soma in Japan.
Power had been restored Sunday morning, although some bullet train services were still down. East Japan Railway Co said the bullet train on the north coast will be suspended until Monday due to damage to its facilities.
Television images and videos shared on social media showed boxes, books, and other items strewn across the floors. In the city of Soma, in the north of Fukushima, a roof of a Buddhist temple collapsed.
Workers were clearing a major coastal highway connecting Tokyo to northern cities where a major landslide occurred. Several other roads were also blocked by rocks.
Uncredited / AP
The files are scattered after an earthquake in a meeting room at the Kyodo News Sendai branch in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, northeast Japan.
The powerful rattle on Saturday less than a month before the 10th anniversary of the 2011 triple disaster was a terrifying reminder of the earlier tragedy for the region’s residents.
“It started with mild tremors, then suddenly became violent,” Yuki Watanabe, an employee at a convenience store in Minamisoma’s Fukushima city, told the Asahi newspaper. “I was so scared,” she said, adding that it reminded her of the 2011 earthquake.
Jun Hirata / AP
The manager of a liquor store cleans bottles damaged after an earthquake in Fukushima, northeast Japan.
As he ran outside, he heard a banging noise coming from behind the store as the glass bottles on the shelves smashed onto the floor.
Experts warned of more aftershocks. Many residents spent the night in evacuation centers, where tents were set up as part of protection measures against the coronavirus.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, expressed his sympathy for those who had suffered damage and injuries.
“The government will continue to do everything possible to respond,” he said.
Defense troops were also mobilized to provide water in some areas.
