Earthquake strikes near Fukushima

More than 2.2 million homes in northern Japan lost power Wednesday evening after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit just 55 miles from Fukushima. The same region was devastated by a 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami in 2011 that caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Wednesday’s quake triggered an initial tsunami threat, but the Japan Meteorological Agency lowered its risk advisory. The Japanese national media organization reported small tsunami waves reached shore in cities just northeast of Tokyo. Authorities on Thursday said at least four people died and more than 107 others sustained injuries.

What’s the damage? Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority reported the quake set off a fire alarm at the No. 5 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, but no flames were found. Some water pumps stopped working but were fixed within a few hours. One express train derailed without any reported injuries, and some towns reported small fires, falling rocks, and damaged buildings. At least seven people were reported injured in two aftershocks. Tokyo Electric Power said it had restored power to all of Tokyo as of Thursday morning, local time.

Dig deeper: From the archives, read Onize Ohikere’s report on how Japan commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 2011 tsunami.