Another earthquake has hit Japan. A strong 7.3 magnitude quake struck in the Pacific Ocean and set off a tsunami warning.
The earthquake struck Friday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Miyagi in northeastern Japan, near where a massive devastating earthquake stuck in 2011.
Fortunately this eathquake didn't do much damage. A tsunami hit Ishinomaki, which was badly hit during last year's tsunami, but this time, it was just over three feet high. The earthquake had struck 150 miles offshore and the tsunami warning was cancelled two hours after the quake hit.
The earthquake caused buildings in Tokyo to shake violently for several minutes but Miyagi reported that there was no immediate reports of damage of due to the earthquake. At least five people were injured as they tried to evacuate and head for higher ground, but no deaths have been reported, according to the Daily Mail.
There was no doubt that those in Miyagi were on high alert as they were deeply affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. A massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit on March 11, 2011, which resulted in a tsunami that killed 19,000 people and destroyed much of the area.
In addition to this, the tsunami damaged the Fukushima nuclear plants which caused radiation to leak. Food and water was contaminated and the leakage set off mass evacuations.
There is no reported damage to the plant from Friday's earthquake, but residents took many precautions as this recent earthquake affected the region.
"I was in the centre of the city the very moment the earthquake struck," Chikako Iwai, a resident of Ishinomaki, told Reuters. "I immediately jumped into the car and started running towards the mountains. I'm still hiding inside the car. I have the radio on and they say the cars are still stuck in the traffic. I'm planning to stay here for the next couple of hours."
This was the second earthquake to hit the region in a month. In November, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck near Iwaki, Honshu. That quake did not cause major damage and no tsunami warning was issued.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
