Agencies
Tokyo, February 13:
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit off Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan late Saturday night, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
There was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, and no immediate reports of major damage. More than 800,000 households were hit by blackouts, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co.
The epicenter of the quake was off the coast of Fukushima, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Tokyo. The strong quake was felt widely across Japan, including shaking of four on Japan’s seven-point scale in the capital Tokyo.
The government has set up an emergency task force to assess the situation.
No immediate abnormalities were reported at the nuclear plants in Fukushima, according to local media. The earthquake occurred less than a month before the 10-year anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the broader region that left about 19,000 people dead or missing. The tsunami hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, leading to a meltdown at three nuclear units.
