Mar 17 (NHK) - A magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck off Japan's Pacific coast on Wednesday night has left at least three people dead and more than 190 injured. Its impact on transportation and the lives of locals continues.
The nighttime quake jolted people awake across much of eastern Japan. It registered an upper 6 on Japan's seismic scale of zero to 7.
Waves of up to 30 centimeters were reported at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture.
Hundreds of people living along the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi evacuated to shelters.
The quake triggered blackouts that affected more than 2 million households and disrupted train services. It also caused fires and structural damage, including cracks in a famous statue of a samurai leader in central Miyagi.
East Japan Railway says the quake caused a bullet train to derail between Fukushima and Shiroishizao stations. None of the 75 passengers and three crewmembers were injured.
Maintenance workers checked the tracks on Thursday and confirmed distortions.
Many train services in the Tohoku region are still suspended, leaving passengers stranded.
A man said, "We're wondering if there's any way we will be able to get back to Tokyo today."
A woman said, "I could go by car, but I'm worried about getting back home."
The Tokyo Electric Power Company reported no major problems or abnormalities at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
At the Fukushima Daini plant, the utility says water pumps in spent fuel storage pools temporarily stopped working. But there was no change in radiation levels.
Source: ANNnewsCH
