Tsunami hits Japan

A powerful earthquake hits northern Japan early yesterday, briefly disrupting cooling functions at a nuclear plant and generating a small tsunami that hit the same Fukushima region that was devastated by a 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, sent thousands of residents fleeing for higher grounds as dawn broke along the northeastern coast. There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries hours after the quake hit at 5:59 a.m [GMT Monday].

It was centered off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of about 10 kilometers [6miles], the Japan meteorological agency [JMA] said. A wave of up to 1.4 meters [4.5ft] high was recorded at Sendai, about 70km[45 miles] north of Fukushima, with smaller waves hitting ports elsewhere along the coast.