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7.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Japan coast near Fukushima

By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

7.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Japan coast near Fukushima Water covers a floor of Fukushima station as it leaks from a ceiling following an earthquake in Fukushima, northeastern Japan Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. A strong earthquake hit off the coast of northeastern Japan late Saturday, shaking Fukushima, Miyagi and other areas, but there was no threat of a tsunami, officials said. (Kyodo News via AP) (武田爽佳/AP)

By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the coast of eastern Japan Saturday with an epicenter near Fukushima nearly a decade since a deadly quake and tsunami caused a meltdown at a nuclear power plant there.

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The Japan Meteorological Agency said the epicenter, 36 miles off the coast of Fukushima, could be felt in Tokyo, the The Japan Times reported.

The quake shook for about 30 seconds at around 11:08 with the most powerful tremors coming in Fukushima and Sendai, The New York Times reported.

The Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant is being evaluated for issues but there were no initial reports of problems at the facility, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

People near the coast were urged to seek higher ground as a precaution. No tsunami alert was issued. Nearly 1-million homes were without power, while roads and train service were shut down, The New York Times reported.

The quake registered close to the 10-year anniversary of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake which led to a nuclear disaster and the deaths of nearly 16,000 people, The Independent reported.


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