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Japan earthquake evokes memories of 2011 Fukushima disaster
- The 7.3-magnitude earthquake off Japan’s Fukushima injured over 100 and caused power outages and transport disruptions
- Officials believe it was an aftershock of the 9.0 quake that sparked a tsunami and nuclear meltdown, with residents saying they relived the experience
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Japanese bar owner Aoi Hoshino on Sunday swept up glass from whiskey bottles smashed in a strong earthquake the night before, as she recalled the devastating quake that hit the Fukushima area in 2011.
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The 7.3 magnitude quake struck before midnight, cracking walls, shattering windows and setting off a landslide in Fukushima, the area closest to the epicentre. At least 121 people were injured, NHK national television said, including several who suffered fractures.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said no casualties had so far been reported. “We have received reports of many injuries in the Fukushima and Miyagi regions. But so far we have not received any reports of deaths,” he told an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday morning.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was believed to be an aftershock from the magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11, 2011 that set off a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people along a wide swathe of northeastern Japan, and the Fukushima nuclear accident, the world’s worst in 25 years. The agency warned of aftershocks for several days.
Hoshino said Saturday’s quake brought back frightening memories.
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