TOKYO – A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the northeast coast of Japan on Saturday, shaking even in Tokyo and prompting advice for part of the north coast.
The Meteorological Agency of Japan said in a statement that it struck at 18:09 local time (6:09 am ET) near Miyagi Prefecture which was badly damaged during the 2011 major earthquake and tsunami.
According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, no damage was reported and there were no initial reports of injuries.
However, the US tsunami alert system has issued a tsunami alert.
“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, dangerous tsunami waves are possible for coastal regions within 300 km (186 miles) of the earthquake epicenter,” reads a statement.
After the Meteorological Agency of Japan initially issued a tsunami warning for Myagi prefecture, it later revoked it.
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The Japanese Nuclear Regulatory Authority also said in a post on its website that no deviations were found at three nuclear reactors in the area, including the Fukushima Daiichi and the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas, and the country accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of 6 or greater.
Last month, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near the coast near Fukushima prefecture, which was the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in the world nearly a decade ago.
Fukushima was hit by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in 2011 – the strongest in Japan’s history. A tsunami soon followed, killing more than 15,000 people and leaving 2,500 others missing.
In a sign of rebirth, the area was due to host parts of the 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Japan. However, the games have been delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Arata Yamamoto reports from Tokyo and Adela Suliman from London.
Reuters contributed to this report.
