Japan records magnitude 7.2 earthquake

PBC News: Authorities issued a tsunami warning for Japan on Saturday after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, reports dw.com.

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The first tsunami waves of up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) hit land shortly after the earthquake, local television channel NHK reported.

Officials said that there were no immediate reports of injury or major damage. At least 200 households were left without electricity.

The Tohoku Electric Power Co reportedly shut down its Onagawa nuclear plant as it checked for any irregularities, while the Tokyo Electric Power checked on the condition of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi power station, which was wrecked by the 2011 quake.

Several train services in the region were also suspended as a precautionary measure.

The US Consulate in Sapporo told people in the area to “seek higher ground.”

Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that the quake hit at 6:09 p.m. local time (09:09 GMT/UTC) at a depth of 60 kilometers (37 miles) in the Pacific water just off the coast of the Miyagi region.

A video shared by NHK showed how the earthquake was felt in Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture.

Tremors were also felt in the capital, Tokyo.