A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on early Friday morning, near Fukushima and several other cities.
The quake struck just 12 miles from Ishikawa and Iwaki, and 21 miles from both Sukagawa and Kitaibaraki.
It struck at a depth of 13 miles (22 kilometers) under Fukushima Prefecture and about 110 miles northeast of Tokyo. The epicenter was about 31 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which was crippled by the major quake and tsunami in March 2011, reported AFP.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is reporting the quake at 5.8.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert.
The Japanese news agency Kyodo News reported that the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., observed no abnormality in radiation or equipment after the quake.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday ordered TEPCO to scrap all six reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and concentrate on tackling pressing issues like leaks of radioactive water.
The 2011 disaster caused three reactors to melt and damaged a fuel cooling pool at another. Officials have acknowledged that radiation-contaminated groundwater has been seeping into the Pacific Ocean since soon after the meltdowns.
The region lies on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim. About 90 percent of the world’s quakes occur in the region.
The United States Geological Service reports Friday’s quake at 5.3.
Magnitudes are often shifted in the minutes and hours following quakes.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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