A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded Sunday in the Pacific off Fukushima in northeastern Japan, but the tsunami risk has been ruled out, US and Japanese officials said.
No injuries, according to a first assessment
The quake, whose epicenter was located 54 km east of Namie, in the prefecture of Fukushima, affected large areas of the region at 19:23 (12:23 in France), said the Institute of Geological Studies United States (USGS). She was also felt in Tokyo. The Meteorological Agency of Japan has announced that there is no risk of tsunami. It issued a warning notice when the earthquake hit but it would not have caused injury or damage according to an initial assessment.
No anomaly on nuclear installations
The circulation of Shinkansen high-speed trains has been temporarily interrupted in the region, according to the NHK public radio-TV. No anomalies were detected at the nuclear facilities, including the Fukushima Daiichi plant, she added.
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that triggered a strong tsunami killed more than 18,000 people and caused a major reactor accident at the plant. Japan is located at the junction of four tectonic plates and is regularly affected by major earthquakes.