A strong earthquake has shaken Fukushima, Japan. Authorities have issued a tsunami warning.
Update from Wednesday, March 16th, 2022, 7:52 p.m.: According to the Potsdamer Geoforschungszentrum (GfZ), the center of the new earthquake in Japan with a magnitude of 7.3 was almost exactly below Fukushima, where the severe nuclear catastrophe happened eleven years ago. “It is medium-sized by Japanese standards,” said seismologist Marco Bohnhoff to the German Press Agency (dpa).
Although the quake at a depth of more than 50 kilometers was much weaker than that of 2011 with a magnitude of over 9, it would have caused considerable shaking: he expected shaking of 8 to 9 on a scale of 1 to 12, the scientist explained .
It was not an unexpected event, emphasized Bohnhoff. The Pacific-oceanic tectonic plate slides under Japan, this process is stopped when the plates get stuck. Then, over the course of years or even centuries, energy accumulates and is suddenly discharged. It cannot be ruled out, but rather unlikely, that a larger earthquake will follow immediately.
Earthquake in Fukushima: Unclear whether there is damage in the nuclear ruins
First report from Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 4:04 p.m.: Fukushima – A strong earthquake shook Fukushima late Wednesday evening (local time). Japan’s meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. It was initially not known whether there was damage to the nuclear ruins in Fukushima.
The long-lasting 7.3 magnitude tremor struck just before midnight (local time), almost eleven years to the day after the northeastern region of the Asian archipelago was devastated by a devastating magnitude 9 earthquake and triggered massive tsunami. The earthquake on Wednesday (March 16, 2022) was also felt in Tokyo, around 300 kilometers away.
Japan: 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits Fukushima
The weather agency warned of a tidal wave up to one meter high. Power outages occurred in Fukushima, local media reported. The government in Tokyo set up an emergency staff. The severe earthquake in the north-east suddenly brought back memories of the devastating catastrophe eleven years ago. On March 11, 2011, a gigantic tsunami hit the Pacific coast and flattened everything: towns, villages and huge areas of cultivation sank under the masses of water and mud.
The flood killed around 20,000 people. In Fukushima it happened as a result Nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi to a super meltdown*. It became the symbol of the triple catastrophe known as “3/11” all over the world – even if none of the deaths are attributed to radiation. The operator Tepco is checking whether the renewed strong earthquake caused irregularities, it said on Thursday night. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Japan, like Indonesia, lies in the “Ring of Fire,” a region around much of the Pacific Ocean rim where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common. A few days ago there was a strong earthquake in Indonesia. (sne/nak with dpa) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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