Powerful 7.3-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Fukushima, Japan 11 Years After Nuclear Reactor Meltdown

After shaking the shore of Fukushima, a 7.3 earthquake sparked a tsunami warning in northern Japan on Wednesday evening.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake occurred 60 kilometers (36 miles) under the ocean's surface.

The earthquake struck on the 11th anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck the area in March 2011, resulting in nuclear plant meltdowns and widespread land devastation.

The Associated Press said personnel at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which manages the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, one of the plants that suffered multiple meltdowns following the 2011 earthquake, said they were inspecting for any probable damage.

JAPAN-QUAKE-EARTHQUAKE — People evacuate at a shelter in Soma, Fukushima prefecture on the morning of March 17, 2022 following a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake on March 16. - Authorities lifted a tsunami advisory and electricity was restored after a powerful 7.4-magnitude quake jolted northeastern Japan on Wednesday night in waters near the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. At least one person died in the coastal city of Soma and dozens more were injured in the quake, local news agency Kyodo reported, as authorities said emergency departments in affected areas received numerous calls to respond to emergencies. STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images

(Photo: STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)
People evacuate at a shelter in Soma, Fukushima prefecture on the morning of March 17, 2022 following a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake on March 16. - Authorities lifted a tsunami advisory and electricity was restored after a powerful 7.4-magnitude quake jolted northeastern Japan on Wednesday night in waters near the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. At least one person died in the coastal city of Soma and dozens more were injured in the quake, local news agency Kyodo reported, as authorities said emergency departments in affected areas received numerous calls to respond to emergencies.

Strong Earthquake in Japan Kills At Least 4 People

The newest earthquake, which occurred about 11.30 p.m. local time, jolted vast portions of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings shook severely, and electricity was cut off.

ABC News added that the massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake killed at least four people and injured more than 90.

As many flocked to social media following the earthquake, some described it as the "longest" and "scariest" earthquake they had ever experienced.

Strong M7.3 earthquake rocking Fukushima, this is my desk in Tokyo now - you can hear the whole apartment building shaking. Scary. pic.twitter.com/UiiM7yzmkN
— John Daub (ONLY in JAPAN) (@ONLYinJAPANtv) March 16, 2022

After the tremor struck 60 kilometers under the water off the coast of northeastern Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency (via The Independent) issued a tsunami warning.

It warned that a tsunami with a height of one meter might impact the Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures and advised people to avoid coastal regions.

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In February of last year, an earthquake of the same magnitude struck the area, knocking out electricity to roughly a million residents.

About Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Japan observed the 11th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged the country's northeastern region in 2011, with further evacuation orders set to be removed later this year in the areas polluted by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

After the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused significant damage and started meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, the country's biggest natural disaster in postwar history claimed the lives of over 15,000 individuals.

Infrastructure in the hardest-hit regions has been repaired to a considerable extent. However, 38,000 people have been displaced, mostly due to the world's biggest nuclear catastrophe since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

According to the figures Mainichi obtained from the National Police Agency, the death toll has risen to 15,900 persons, with 2,523 individuals still missing, mainly in the three most badly affected prefectures.

Reconstruction Agency said in the same Mainichi report that related deaths, such as those caused by disease or stress-induced suicides, reached 3,784 as of September last year.

There is still a no-go zone surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and decommissioning work is expected to go until 2041 or 2051.

As toxic water from cooling crippled reactors with melted nuclear fuel mounts up, Fukushima Prefecture continues to cope with the repercussions of nuclear pollution.

The discharge of cleaned water into the sea by the government will commence in the spring of 2023, generating worry among neighboring nations and local citizens.