7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Off Coast of Japan
October 26th, 2013Via: Independent:
The operators of Japan’s crippled nuclear power plant said there was no further damage caused to the wrecked plant early on Saturday, despite a magnitude 7.1 to 7.3 earthquake striking offshore and triggering a small tsunami.
An earthquake official with the Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was an aftershock of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck the same area in 2011, killing about 19,000 people and devastating the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.
Workers at the plant were told to leave waterfront areas and head to higher ground.
Japanese television reported a one foot tsunami had reached Japan’s east coast, but one-metre high tsunami advisory warnings were lifted approximately two hours later.
A spokesperson for the Fukushima plant reported no damage or abnormalities in radiation readings had been found, and the national Fire and Disaster Management Agency said only one minor injury was reported.
The epicenter of the 2.10am quake hit about 170 miles off Fukushima, and was felt as far as 300 miles away in Tokyo.
