Earthquake in Japan raised tsunami warning | …

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning after a strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake recorded off the country’s northeast coast.

The earthquake occurred at 6:09 p.m. (Argentina 06/09) in Pacific waters, in the Miyagi region, at a depth of 60 kilometers, according to the JMA, which warned of a risk of tsunami, with one meter waves. Thousands of homes were ordered to evacuate because of this alert, which was deactivated around 7:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m. in Argentina).

However, no damage has been reported to Miyagi and local authorities are inspecting the situation at nuclear power plants in the region. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the earthquake to have a magnitude of 7.0, just below information in Japan.

The earthquake and tsunami alert comes days after Japan commemorated the 10th anniversary of the devastating 9-magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011, which caused a devastating tsunami and nuclear accident at the Fukushima plant . This disaster affected northeastern Japan, including Miyagi.

Some residents of coastal communities said they fled to higher lands after the warning issued by the earthquake on Saturday. “Due to the experience that day (in 2011), I moved quickly. My heart is racing,” a man from Ishinomaki town told NHK as he fled to a park on a hill.

The Nuclear Radiation Authority said no case of anomalies had been reported at nuclear facilities in the region. Japan is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active areas on earth, but it has strict building standards so buildings can withstand severe earthquakes.