Powerful magnitude 7 3 earthquake hits Japan near Fukushima

Powerful magnitude 7 3 earthquake hits Japan near Fukushima A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Japan, close to Fukushima, late Saturday evening leaving at least 12 people injured. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 11:07 p.m. local time (9.07 a.m. ET), 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. The depth of the earthquake was about 36 miles. Injuries were reported in Fukushima and Miyagi prefecture, according to state broadcaster NHK. No tsunami warning has been issued for Saturday's earthquake, and no abnormalities have been reported at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Katsunobu Kato. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Japan. More than 20,000 people died or went missing in the quake and tsunami, while hundreds of thousands more lost their homes.