Earthquake near the damaged nuclear plant in Japan

A strong earthquake today occurred near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.

>>>Strong earthquake shook Tokyo

The earthquake occurred at 12:20 local time, in the sea about 22km east of Iwaki city in Fukushima prefecture, AFP reported. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the seismic intensity was 5.7 in this Richter scale at a depth of about 9km.

The location and magnitude of the earthquake occurred near the house
Fukushima nuclear power plant. (Graphic: Myforecast)

The location of the earthquake today is not far from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was badly damaged after the March 11, 2011 tsunami disaster. However, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said the factory is in stable condition after the earthquake.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the possibility of a tsunami after the earthquake has been removed. There is no immediate information about the damage after the seismic attack this afternoon.

On March 11 last year, a magnitude 9 earthquake struck a tsunami of up to 15m, killing more than 19,000 people in northeastern Japan. This double disaster also led to a bad nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, when some of the reactors here were damaged leading to the melting of the fuel rods.

Radiation from this plant then leaks and escapes into the air, seeping into the ground and the surrounding sea. Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes around the Fukushima Daiichi factory to evacuate.