Japan was hit by an earthquake on Tuesday September 16. The US Geological Survey said the quake measured 5.6 on the Richter magnitude scale.
A strong earthquake struck Japan on Tuesday. The powerful quake rattled many buildings in Tokyo, sending some people to the streets, but no serious injuries were reported.
Japanese officials were quick to calm nerves by explaining there was no risk of tsunami. The statement read:
“We have not received any reports of damage, injuries or casualties following the earthquake. We are still checking if the quake could result in damage.”
The temblor hit Japan at around 11:28 p.m. ET with its epicenter at around 44 kilometers northeast of the Japanese capital.
Seismologists said that the epicenter was located around 30 miles below the surface. Many reported that they felt aftershocks few minutes after the quake rattled the country.
According to The US Geological Survey, the powerful earthquake measured 5.6 on the Richter scale.
The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was destroyed by a similar natural disaster in 2011, rapidly issued a statement saying that there were no unusual activities after the quake. Spokesman Keisuke Murakami said:
“There was no abnormality in our monitoring at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following the earthquake. Also, we have not received any reports of damage from the latest quake.”
In March of 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the East Asia island nation, sparking a monster tsunami that obliterated a portion of the country, killing more than 18,000 people, leaving billions of dollars worth of damage and creating the world’s worst nuclear emergency in a generation.
According to some media outlets, train services in the area of Shinkansen were briefly suspended following Tuesday’s earthquake. After officials deemed there was no immediate danger, operations quickly resumed.
Experts have found that Japan is hit by around one fifth of the world’s most powerful earthquakes annually.
