Japan earthquake sparks brief tsunami alert, causes power cuts in Miyagi prefecture
- The quake hit at 6.09pm in Pacific waters off Miyagi region, leaving some 200 households without power
- It comes about a week after the 10th anniversary of a 9.0-magnitude quake that triggered a killer tsunami and the Fukushima meltdown
The quake hit at 6.09pm in Pacific waters off Miyagi region with a depth of 60 kilometres, the JMA said, issuing an advisory for tsunami waves of around one metre.
Local utilities were inspecting the status of the region’s nuclear plants, and local railway firms suspended services, including shinkansen bullet trains.
Part of Japan’s northeastern prefecture of Miyagi was hit by power outages on Saturday after the quake, said utility Tohoku Electric Power Co, leaving some 200 households without power.
NHK said service on the Tohoku shinkansen bullet train had been halted.
“It was a really bad, long shaking from side-to-side. It was even longer than the quake last month, but at least the building here is all right,” Shizue Onodera told NHK from the shop where she works in the city of Ishinomaki. “Lots of bottles smashed on the floor.”
NHK footage from inside its Sendai bureau showing a plaque suspended from the ceiling shaking for about 30 seconds following the tremor. It did not report any items falling from shelves or any immediate damage.
The quake could be felt in Tokyo about 400km south of the epicentre.