Japan: Tsunami warning lifted after a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3

The tremors, measuring 7.3, could be felt up to Tokyo. The earthquake, whose epicenter was located off Fukushima was announced by state television.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred Tuesday morning in northeastern Japan off Fukushima. Seven hours after a tidal wave reaching one meter in Fukushima, the opinion of tsunami risk was lifted in mid-day, on all the relevant areas of the east coast of Japan.

A tsunami warning was launched on two areas (Fukushima and Miyagi) and risk of several other reviews after the tremor occurred at 6 am local (Monday 22 hours in Paris).

Tremors of magnitude even probable
The entirety of these warnings have now been removed, but the agency warned that the aftershocks of the same magnitude (about magnitude 7) are likely in the next seven days.

The quake occurred at 5:59 local (21h GMT) at a depth of 10 km.

The earthquake was strongly felt in a wide area of ​​the main island of Honshu, including Tokyo, waking millions of people in the area had already been devastated by a huge tsunami in March 2011.

“A tsunami happens, run away, tell your neighbors”
The operators of nuclear power plants reported observing the data in their facilities, including central Fukushima Faiichi, rugged, and Fukushima Daini. They have indicated, according to NHK public TV channel , no new anomaly had time for was found. All plants in the region are stopped. NHK immediately interrupted its programs to relay information from the authorities. “A tsunami happens, run away, tell your neighbors,” said a commentator on the public channel that has a mission of general interest. At a little press conference organized by midnight Paris time, Yoshihide Suga, the secretary general of the government, has sought reassurance about the situation of the Fukushima plant.

No information of major damage or casualties were reported immediately, except a fire in a refinery, according to NHK. A crisis unit was opened by the government to provide information and instructions to help, to localities and their inhabitants.

The Japanese are even more sensitive to risks since the tsunami of March 2011 , following an earthquake of magnitude 9. It killed some 18 000 people and caused a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant, where the cores of three reactors ( six in total) had entered into merger, displacing tens of thousands. The disaster had led the major nuclear accident in Fukushima , the worst since Chernobyl.

The Japanese archipelago has experienced in April two strong earthquakes in the Kumamoto region (southwest), followed by more than 1700 aftershocks that killed fifty dead and caused extensive damage.