A powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Tuesday, Nov. 22. The quake's epicenter was determined to be Fukushima Prefecture, near the coast where the devastating 2011 quake took place.
Strong jolt were also felt around Tokyo, Kanto and Tohoku. Officials ordered people to leave immediately as waves could reach to as high as 10 feet but fortunately, the earthquake only set off a 1.4 meters high tsunami at Sendai Port in Miyagi Prefecture.
Moreover, since this is the same area where the nuclear disaster happened five years ago, people fear that there will be a melt down again. For about an hour and a half, concerns were heightened as the cooling system of one reactor suddenly shut down. Luckily, the plant resumed operations without incident, New York Times reported.
By the afternoon, tsunami warnings were withdrawn and residents were allowed to go back to their homes. Although no deaths were reported, there were people who suffered from minor injuries.
At most, 14 citizens have been injured. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that three people suffered from broken bones and people involved were elderly women who are in their 80s and one in her 60s.
Asahi Shimbun reported that the strong earthquake could be an aftershock from the 2011 catastrophe that claimed the lives of almost 16,000 people and wiped out an entire region. The disaster triggered a 30-meter high sea waves and this fact alone explains the massive devastation brought about by the tremblor.
The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed that the powerful quake was a long overdue aftershock of the deadly magnitude 9.0 earthquake that brought forth massive tsunami in Fukushima Prefecture in 2011.
Further, the agency informed the residents about the possibility of another big quake hitting the area in the coming days. People were urged to be more vigilant and prepared for at least a week starting Nov. 23.
Earthquakes are common in Japan and because of the lessons learned from the calamity in 2011, radio and TV announcers cut-off their segments to repeatedly warn listeners of the tsunami. They were heard instructing people not to go near the water and to run for safety.
Watch the clip showing the 1.4-meter tsunami approaching the Sendai port, minutes after the earthquake struck: