Magnitude 6.0 earthquake shakes northeast Japan, no tsunami warning

An underwater earthquake of magnitude 6.0 according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) occurred Thursday off the coast of Fukushima department, in northeastern Japan, without triggering a tsunami warning.

Local media did not immediately report any damage or casualties after the earthquake, whose magnitude was estimated at 6.1 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The tremor, which was also felt in Tokyo, occurred the day after a very violent earthquake near Taiwan which left nine dead and more than 1,000 injured on the island, as well as extensive material damage.

This earthquake of magnitude greater than 7, the most powerful to hit Taiwan in 25 years, also caused tsunami warnings in Taiwan, Okinawa (southwest of Japan) as well as the Philippines, but this risk was ultimately got up a few hours later.

Japan and Taiwan frequently experience earthquakes, and in an attempt to limit their consequences apply extremely strict construction regulations. Their residents are also regularly made aware of emergency measures to deal with natural disasters.

In Japan, 2,227 tremors of intensity 1 or higher on the Japanese Shindo scale (seismic intensity) were felt in 2023, according to the JMA.

The Fukushima disaster, which devastated several departments in the north-east of the country in March 2011, leaving around 20,000 dead and missing, is still remembered.

A 9.0 magnitude underwater earthquake caused a gigantic tsunami on the country's northeastern coast, which also caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

“No anomaly” was identified at Fukushima Daiichi after Thursday's earthquake, assured on the social network

The Noto Peninsula, a rural and remote area in the center of the Japanese archipelago, also suffered a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on January 1 which left more than 240 dead, notably due to the collapse of numerous houses. ancient.