TOKYO, March 16 (BNA) A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami warning and plunging more than two million homes in the Tokyo area into darkness.
The Associated Press reported that the area is a part of northern Japan that was devastated by a deadly 9.0 earthquake and tsunami 11 years ago that also caused the collapse of a nuclear plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Holding Company, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where cooling systems failed after the 2011 disaster, said workers were checking for any potential damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake occurred at 11:36 pm, at a depth of 60 km below sea level.
The agency issued a tsunami warning due to sea surges of up to one meter (3 feet) in parts of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. National television NHK said the tsunami may have already reached some areas.
Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force said it has sent fighter planes from Hyakuri base in Ibaraki Prefecture, just south of Fukushima, to collect information and assess damage.
The company said on its website that more than two million homes were without power in the Tokyo area served by TEPCO due to the earthquake. The earthquake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings shook severely.
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