The Japan Meteorological Agency warned Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima provinces of tsunamis that may hit a 50m-high level after an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale rocked the northeastern region.

The agency reported that the earthquake that hit at 9h57’ local time at a depth of 10 km some 200 km off Miyagi.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said they have not yet discovered any abnormal phenomena surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear plants. The TEPCO spokesperson said they would conduct examinations of the quake’s impact but at this point the cooling systems of nuclear reactors are functioning well. Workers at these sites have been evacuated after the Government released warnings of tsunamis.

Mass media in Japan reported that as consequence of the disaster, a number of express train service in Tokyo and some eastern provinces was temporarily halted. Fortunately, life losses and material damages have not yet reported so far.

Northeastern provinces of Japan were the worst hit by the deadly 9 magnitude earthquake and massive tsunami on March 11, which left 23,000 people either killed or missing. The twin disasters triggered atomic crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.