7.3-magnitude quake shakes east Japan, triggers tsunami advisory | Earthquakes News

No reports of casualties in Fukushima, which was hit by a deadly earthquake and tsunami 11 years ago.

A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted east Japan, rattling the capital Tokyo and prompting a tsunami advisory for parts of the northeast coast, the Japan Meteorological Agency has said.

The earthquake on Wednesday night was centred off the coast of the Fukushima region at a depth of 60km. Shortly after it hit at 11:36pm local time (1436 GMT) an advisory for tsunami waves of one metre was issued for parts of the northeast coast.

The Fukushima region was devastated by a deadly 9.0 earthquake and tsunami 11 years ago that also caused nuclear plant meltdowns. Wednesday’s earthquake came only days after the area marked the 11th anniversary of the disaster in March 2011.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that suffered multiple meltdowns following the 2011 disaster that destroyed its cooling systems, said workers were checking for any possible damage.

The earthquake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings shook violently. Authorities warned residents in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Yamagata prefectures to expect after shocks.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government was working to assess the extent of any damage after the tremor.

More than 2 million homes were without electricity in the Tokyo region serviced by TEPCO due to the earthquake, the utility company said on its website.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.