A tsunami warning has been issued in the Fukushima Prefecture following an earthquake which struck Japan’s east coast this morning.
The US Geological Survey initially put the quake at magnitude 7.3, but have now downgraded it to 6.9.
Residents of Fukushima are being urged to evacuate and seek higher ground, with Japanese media initially reporting that a wave as high as three metres could hit the coastline.
The first waves reaching the coast have ranged between 30xm and 90cm.
The “great earthquake” of 2011, measured 9.1 and — in combination with the tsunami that followed — killed more than 15,000 people as well as causing a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiishi nuclear power plant.
The earthquake occurred at 5.59am off the coast at a depth of around 10km.
No immediate damage was reported, although one woman suffered cuts to her head from falling dishes, according to the ABC.
The Australian broadcaster’s Japanese correspondent said she felt tremors as far away as Tokyo.
“I haven’t felt one like this is quite a long time. My apartment windows were shaking,” she said.
#PrayForJapan has begun trending on social media.
Feature image: Japan Meteorological Agency
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