In the past few hours, new images of the magnitude 6 earthquake that struck the eastern region of Japan on Thursday have already been released. The epicenter was located off the coast of Fukushima. As expected, thousands of people panicked following the 7.2 earthquake in Taiwan. Furthermore, in the specific case of Fukushima, one of the major concerns is the nuclear plant in that city. So far, no alerts have been announced around the plant, and everything seems to be under control. There is also no tsunami alert, and there don’t appear to be any damaged structures after an initial assessment of the area.
The earthquake in Fukushima occurred at 12:16 local time today, with its epicenter 40 kilometers deep off the coast of Fukushima prefecture in the east of the country, as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The tremor reached level 4 on the Japanese seismic scale (which has 7 levels and focuses on measuring surface agitation and potential damage) and the same level in the neighboring prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi.
The operator of the troubled Fukushima plant, TEPCO, stated that they are currently inspecting for any issues at the plant following the tremor, as detailed by the state broadcaster NHK, while the JR East railway suspended operations of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train, which connects Tokyo with Sendai, due to a power outage. According to Tohoku Electric Power Company, no anomalies were detected at the Miyagi Ongawa nuclear plant or in radiation levels in nearby areas.
This Thursday’s earthquake in Japan comes after a strong earthquake struck Taiwan the previous day, leaving nearly a dozen dead and hundreds injured and triggering a tsunami alert in the Okinawa archipelago islands southwest of Japan. Japan sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active regions in the world, and experiences earthquakes relatively frequently, so its infrastructure is specially designed to withstand tremors.
Earthquake in Fukushima: What Is the Ring of Fire?
Japan lies within what is known as the Ring of Fire, a region of seismic activity. The “Ring of Fire” is a geographic region surrounding the Pacific Ocean known for its high seismic and volcanic activity. This ring extends from South America, through North America, to Asia and Oceania. Seismic and volcanic activity in this region is due to the subduction of tectonic plates, where an oceanic plate moves beneath another oceanic or continental plate, causing a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
This ring concentrates more than 75% of active volcanoes and a large percentage of earthquakes recorded worldwide. Some of the countries included in this region are Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, the United States (Alaska), Canada, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and New Zealand, among others.
Revealing Images of the Earthquake in Taiwan
Meanwhile, just hours before what happened in Japan, Taiwan was hit by the strongest earthquake in 25 years. In the initial report, nine people lost their lives and there were 800 injuries following the magnitude 7.2 event that occurred on Wednesday morning. Now, there are 10 confirmed deaths and over a thousand injured.
Authorities reported that dozens of people were trapped and many buildings were damaged, especially in the city of Hualien, where a 10-story building partially collapsed and tilted. Tremors were also reported on the Chinese mainland, as far away as Hangzhou, Xiamen, and Shanghai, and authorities warned of the possibility of more potentially strong aftershocks in the coming days.
Efforts are underway to rescue those trapped by the earthquake, including 50 people aboard minibusses heading to Taroko National Park, partially located in Hualien County, the epicenter of the earthquake, and 64 individuals trapped in a rock quarry. Fire authorities said they had already evacuated around 70 people trapped in tunnels near the city of Hualien.
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“I am deeply grateful for the messages of support we have received from around the world, and to our rescuers for their rescue work,” said Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in a statement released in X. “My heart is with all those affected. Please stay in touch with your loved ones and stay safe.”
The earthquake was felt across the entire island and was followed by a series of aftershocks that authorities warn could continue in the coming days. Tsunami alerts were issued across Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines immediately afterward, though they have since been lifted.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernandez in Cultura Colectiva News.