Mar 17 (NHK) - Japan's meteorological agency has lifted a tsunami advisory it issued for the northeastern parts of the country following an earthquake off the Pacific coast.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
It had a maximum intensity of 6-plus on Japan's seismic scale of zero to 7. The depth of the focus was estimated at 57 kilometers. Tremors were felt across much of eastern Japan.
Waves up to 30 centimeters were reported at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture.
Hundreds of people living along the coast in Fukushima and Miyagi evacuated to shelters.
Two deaths were reported, and around 90 people were injured across the affected area.
There were also reports of structural damage and fires. The quake triggered blackouts for more than two million households and disrupted train services.
East Japan Railway says a Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train derailed between Fukushima and Shiroishizao stations.
None of the 75 passengers and three crewmembers aboard were injured. The company says 16 of the 17 cars are off the track.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says there have been no major problems or abnormalities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was crippled by the 2011 disaster.
The utility says water pumps in spent fuel storage pools at two reactor buildings at the Fukushima Daini plant temporarily stopped working. No change was reported in radiation levels.
Source: ANNnewsCH
