Magnitude 7.2 quake hits northern Japan, 1 metre tsunami expected - NHK

TOKYO: An earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Saturday, hitting areas devastated by the 2011 disaster and generating a tsunami of 1 metre, public broadcaster NHK said.

The quake hit the coast of Miyagi Prefecture at 6:26 p.m. (0926 GMT) and had a magnitude of 7.2 at a depth of 60 km (37 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Tohoku Electric Power Co has halted the Onagawa nuclear plant and is checking for any irregularities, NHK said.

Tokyo Electric Power said it is checking the condition of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi power station that was wrecked by the massive March 2011 quake, which caused nuclear meltdowns and mass evacuations.

NHK showed footage from inside its Sendai bureau showing a plaque suspended from the ceiling shaking for about 30 seconds following the tremor. It did not report any items falling from shelves or any immediate damage.

The quake could be felt in Tokyo about 400 km south of the epicentre.

NHK warned the public against coming anywhere near the shore.