Magnitude 7 earthquake in Japan activates tsunami alert

Tal. Japan on Saturday recorded a powerful earthquake that shook buildings in the capital, Tokyo, and triggered a tsunami alarm for the country’s northeast coast.

No serious injuries were reported, but several people suffered minor injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake reached a magnitude of 7 and had its epicenter 21 miles east of Ishinomaki, at a depth of 33.5 miles.

The quake had its center off the coast of Miyagi prefecture in the northeast of the country, which was seriously damaged during the powerful earthquake and subsequent 2011 tsunami that left more than 18,000 dead.

The tsunami warning affected Miyagi prefecture. The tremor began shortly before 6:10 p.m., local time.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning of up to a meter high for Miyagi immediately after the quake, but lifted it after 90 minutes.

Authorities said there were no reports of damage.

The Fire and Disaster Agency said seven people were injured in Miyagi prefecture, including two elderly women – one hit in the head by a door and the other hit in the shoulder by a piece of furniture. The neighboring prefecture of Iwate a woman in her fifties fell and cut her lip.

The strong quake caused a temporary shutdown in some areas and paralyzed the fast train service, according to the East Japan Railway Co.

The Nuclear Regulatory Authority said no abnormalities were detected in nuclear plants in the region, including that of Fukushima Daiichi, which suffered nuclear mergers in 2011.

A spokeswoman for the weather agency, Noriko Kamaya, said at a press conference that Saturday’s quake is considered a replica of the 2011 magnitude 9 earthquake. Kamaya called on people to be careful and not to approach the shore.