7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Japan, Tsumani Evacuation Urged

A snapshot from Japan's NHK TV picturing the situation in NE Japan after the new strong earthquake hit the region Thursday night.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale has shaken Japan's capital Tokyo and the Miyagi prefecture.

The earthquake occurred at 11:32 pm local time, its epicenter was located 40 km off the east coast of Japan below the sea bed, Japanese state TV NHK reported.

A tsunami warning has been issued as a result of the new strong earthquake; a one-meter high tsunami is expected to hit the coast of northeastern Japan.

Japan's meteorological agency has urged evacuation of the coastal areas of the Miyagi prefecture.

There have been no immediate reports of damages or casualties in the eastern and northeastern regions of Japan, which are still struggling to recover from the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the country on March 11, and the ensuing tsunami.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has announced that the new earthquake has not affected the situation in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was badly damaged by the March 11 earthquake ushering into one of the world's worst nuclear crises ever.

All TEPCO workers have been evacuated from the Fukushima plant, and are reported to be safe.

The earthquake caused a power outage in the city of Sendai.

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