Roundup: Powerful quake jolts northeastern Japan with tsunami waves observed

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Tuesday with tsunami waved of over 1 meter observed, however worries abated as tsunami alerts were later lifted and no major damages were reported.

The quake, which occurred at 5:59 a.m. local time (2059 GMT Monday) registered lower 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 in northeastern Fukushima prefecture.

The temblor was centered at depth of 30 km under seabed of the Pacific Ocean off shore of Fukushima, which is north of Tokyo and home to the nuclear power plant destroyed by a huge tsunami following a massive 8.8-magnitude quake in March 2011.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of further tidal waves of up to 3 meters for Fukushima and 1 meter for other parts on the Pacific coastline, after the first wave of tsunami was observed 20 km east of Iwaki city in Fukushima prefecture and then 1.4-meter wave were spotted at Sendai port in northeastern Miyagi prefecture.

Tidal waves of 0.3-1.4 meters have been observed Tuesday morning at Onahama port and Soma port in Fukushima prefecture, Ofunato port and Kuji port in northeastern Iwate prefecture, Sendai port and Ishinomaki Ayukawa in northeastern Miyagi prefecture, Oarai port in eastern Ibaraki prefecture, and Katsuura in eastern Chiba prefecture.

Less than four hours after the tremor, the tsunami warning for northeastern prefectures of Miyagi and Fukushima was downgraded to advisory and all tsunami warnings and advisories in northeastern and eastern prefectures were lifted later by the weather agency.

Calling Tuesday's tremor an aftershock of the 2011 quake, which caused a devastating tsunami, damaged nuclear reactors and killed over 15,000 people in the country, The Japan Meteorological Agency also warned that another quake of a similar scale might occur within a week.

A nuclear fuel cooling facility of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's No. 3 reactor halted operation temporarily after the quake. There were no abnormalities observed at other nuclear plants in the country.

Japanese government's top spokesman Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference Tuesday that the cooling failure will not immediately lead to a radiation leak or an increase in the temperature of the fuel.

So far there have been no reports of significant damage from the quake or tsunami, said Suga, adding that the government will continue to ascertain damage and work closely with the Self-Defense Forces for disaster relief.

The spokesman also called on people in the affected areas to be alert to evacuation instructions and pay attention to information broadcast on television and radio and help each other.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is on a visit to Argentina, said at a press conference in Buenos Aires that he has ordered government officials to assess the damage, provide the public with accurate and timely information and do all they can to respond to the disaster.

Aircraft and helicopters have been sent by the Defense Ministry to check for damage in quake-hit regions.

No serious injuries or major damages were reported. A total of 12 people have been reported injured slightly in Fukushima, Miyagi, Chiba and Tokyo, including one struck by falling tableware at home and another cut by broken glass at a nursing home.

About 10,000 people fled to evacuation centers in coastal areas before all tsunami warnings and advisories were lifted.

Affected by the earthquake, rail, air, road transportation services were partially suspended or delayed in northeastern and eastern Japan. At least 1,100 households in Fukushima prefecture and central Niigata prefecture were left without power while water supply was cut off in some parts of Fukushima and Sendai.

Primary and middle schools were closed Tuesday in northeastern prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi and Aomori.

Three small boats overturned off the coast of Miyagi during tsunami, according to the Japan Coastal Guard, who are checking whether there was anyone onboard.

A Fire was reported at a petroleum complex in Iwaki of Fukushima prefecture and was then put out without reports of injuries.

As worries over Tuesday's quake abated with tsunami warnings lifted and no major damages reported, Tokyo shares closed higher Tuesday, with the Nikkei index ending at a roughly 10-and-a-half-month high. Investors expected the economic impact of the quake and ensuing tsunami to be limited. Endit