A strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook off the coast near Fukushima, Japan – site of a nuclear disaster in 2011 – late Wednesday, prompting a tsunami alert and knocking out power to more than 2 million customers across the country.
The U.S. National Weather Service said while there is no threat of a tsunami for the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia or Alaska, hazardous tsunami waves remained possible within 186 miles of the quake’s epicenter near Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake struck 36 miles below the sea. The quake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings shook violently.
The quake hit at 10:36 a.m. ET, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The region is part of northern Japan that was devastated by a deadly 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami 11 years ago that also caused nuclear plant meltdowns. That quake and tsunami killed more than 22,000 people. Wednesday’s quake came only days after the area marked the 11th anniversary of the disaster in March 2011.
The 2011 earthquake was 9.1 magnitude, some 63 times stronger, and released about 500 times more energy than Wednesday’s quake, CNN reported.
There are no immediate reports of casualties.
Contributing: The Associated Press
