Japan is rattled by 5.2-magnitude earthquake near Fukushima

• The earthquake struck around 20 miles off the coast of Fukushima province
• Witnesses said they had felt a 10-second long shake during the tremor today
• No tsunami warning has been put in place by Japan’s meteorological agency 

Japan was rattled by a 5.2-magnitude earthquake off the country’s east coast today. 

The quake struck around 20 miles off the coast of Fukushima province, and just over 50 miles from the city of the same name. 

Witnesses said they had felt a 10-second long shake during the tremor at around 7.30pm local time. 

No tsunami warning has been put in place by Japan’s meteorological agency.  

Japan was rattled by a 5.2-magnitude earthquake off the country’s east coast today

The US Geological Survey said today’s earthquake had struck at a depth of around 50 miles under the sea. 

One witness told earthquake monitoring service EMSC that the quake produced a ‘weak but long shake’ lasting about 10 seconds.  

Another said their heater had moved around on its four wheels while making a sound. 

Officials in Fukushima prefecture warned residents that there could be aftershocks and directed them to official public safety advice. 

TEPCO, an energy company which runs power stations including nuclear plants, said it was awaiting further information about the earthquake’s impact. 

In 2011, Fukushima was the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami. 

The wave flooded the nuclear power plant and caused a massive meltdown, spewing out radiation that forced 160,000 people to flee their homes.  

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