An earthquake is a natural disaster and results in the loss of lives and properties apart from infrastructure damage. The magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the coast of Fukushima prefecture in Japan. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, felt the tremors. Fukushima was the place where one of the world's worst nuclear disasters happened in 2011. It left hundreds of thousands dead, destroyed the nuclear facility, and spread radiation. This has played havoc with the environment, and it is gradually recovering from the after-effects. The Japan Meteorological Agency mentions about 14 aftershocks, but there was no warning of any tsunami.

During an earthquake, buildings reduce to rubble; bridges collapse, power lines break, and debris block the roads. There is a disruption in communication links, and Travel becomes difficult. Seismometers can forecast a possible earthquake but not the exact location. Hence, there is always an element of surprise, and people are caught unawares. Recently, a 6.2 earthquake struck Sulawesi Island in Indonesia and left at least 34 dead.

NBC News quotes Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga saying - "There have been no anomalies reported from any nuclear facilities. Everything is normal." He said this at a press conference. He urged people to remain indoors and be prepared to face aftershocks. Efforts are on to assess the extent of damages and the number injured.

Caution is required when there is an earthquake

The Japan Meteorological Agency has cautioned people to be cautious about tremors. There is a higher risk of structural collapse and landslides in places where the tremor's intensity was the strongest. NBC News makes a mention of the Fukushima disaster of 2011. At that time, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the area.

It was the strongest in the history of Japan. A tsunami followed, and it left behind a trail of death. The whereabouts of many missing persons remain unknown. The tsunami devastated the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Its safe shut down would be a long drawn process and might take decades.

The earthquake happened at a venue of where Olympics 2020

Incidentally, Fukushima was to play host to the Summer Olympics 2020, which is delayed because of coronavirus. An earthquake is unpredictable and disturbs the lives of people. Many of them lose their homes, land up on the streets, and have to begin life all over again. They see their homes crumble before their eyes. The environment takes a severe beating, and animals and wildlife lose their habitats. NBC News adds that Japan is one of the world's most seismically active regions, and earthquakes are not new. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's high magnitude quakes. In November 2020, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed at least 27 people in Turkey and Greece.

At least 48 persons injured in the earthquake

State broadcaster NHK reports injuries to at least 48 persons in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, but there were no major casualties. The United States Geological Survey says the epicenter hit a town located 60 miles from Fukushima. This quake was in the same area as the one on March 11, 2011. That earthquake caused extensive damages to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. It led to the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from the area and the loss of innumerable lives. The disaster triggered landslides and uprooted sections of a major expressway leading to disruption in travel. Embankments along the road collapsed. Moreover, many regions, including Tokyo, experienced the loss of power. In December 2018, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Alaska, and it damaged the infrastructure.