Japan has a history of major earthquakes. Another one hit the country last night. Reports of a leak at a nuclear plant reminds of the devastating disaster ten years ago.
- Strong Earthquake in Japan 10 years after the devastating tsunami in 2011
- 7.3 strong, the earthquake reports little damage
- A leak in a nuclear plant and widespread power outage are initial concerns
The 7.3 magnitude quake which hit near Fukushima on Saturday night 11.04 pm local time hit off of Fukushima just weeks before the 10th anniversary of a quake on March 11, 2011 that devastated northeast Japan.
The quake has seen dozens injured and triggered widespread power outages. Some 950,000 households were initially without power, the government told local news network NHK.
At least two dozen people were injured, according to reports from the Kyodo news agency. No tsunami warning has been issued by officials.
However, most concerning are reports of a leak at Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power plant, according to public broadcaster NHK – though this has been denied by the facility owners.
Pool water used for storing spent nuclear fuel may have leaked and contaminated the surrounding area, the outlet said.
However, reports also suggest the risk to workers and the surrounding area is low as the level of radiation is not an extreme risk.
The report continued that as of 1.40 am Sunday local time: “No major abnormalities have been found at the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant, and there is no change in the values of the monitoring posts that measure radiation levels around the nuclear power plant.”
