Powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits Japan

(REUTERS): A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Japan, close to Fukushima, injuring dozens of people and triggering widespread power outages.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 11:07 p.m. local time, was located 45.9 miles (73.9 kilometers) northeast of Namie, a coastal town 60 miles from Fukushima, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Houses and offices in the capital Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres away, also swayed and shook. No tsunami warning had been issued and no abnormalities have been reported at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary said.

At least two dozen people were injured, according to reports. Television footage also showed broken glass from shop fronts. Some 950,000 households were initially without power, government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told a briefing.

The blackouts appeared to be concentrated in northeast Japan, including Fukushima and neighbouring prefectures. The quake hit off of Fukushima just weeks before the 10th anniversary of a quake on March 11, 2011 that devastated northeast Japan and triggered a massive tsunami leading to the world’s worst nuclear crisis in a quarter of a century – one centred at the Daiichi facility.