A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Japan on Tuesday, injuring several while also generating 4.6 foot tsunami waves that hit the coast.

The temblor struck at 5:59 a.m. local time Tuesday morning (3:59 p.m. EST) 23 miles east-southeast of Namie, Japan, at a depth of 7 miles, the USGS also reported. Several strong aftershocks, including at least three with a magnitude greater than 5 were reported in the wake of the 6.9 quake.

At least 14 people were injured by the quake, some with broken bones, the Associated Press reported, but otherwise widespread damage was averted. The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which leaked radiation after the 2011 Japanese quake, reported no issues or damage.

The powerful earthquake stoked fears in an area still reeling from the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami. By comparison, the 2011 disaster produced a 30 to 60 foot tsunami that, in addition to the 9.1 magnitude earthquake, killed more than 15,000 people and inundated the entire coastline. Tuesday's 6.9 magnitude earthquake only generated a 4.6 foot tsunami, with only minor damage reported.

According to NBC News, the quake produced a smaller tsunami because it moved along a lateral slip , which doesn't usually create the violent vertical movement needed to trigger a big tsunami.

Immediately after the earthquake struck, there were fears that the earthquake could produce a tsunami wave 10 feet or higher, prompting a tsunami warning. Boats went out to sea to avoide damage and residents along the coast fled to higher ground, but an hour later, when the first waves arrived, it became clear that they weren't anywhere near the scale or magnitude of 2011's.

"When I evacuated offshore, I experienced unusual waves," boat captain Hideo Ohira told the Associated Press at Onahama port. "But they were not that big."

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1990</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Japan tsunami waves push river upstream

Japan has lifted the tsunami advisories issued after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit its eastern coast.

The quake struck near Fukushima at about 06:00 local time (21:00 GMT Monday), triggering initial warnings of 3m (9.8ft) high waves. The waves which eventually hit the coast were much smaller.

Thousands were asked to evacuate the area and minor injuries were reported.

An earthquake and tsunami struck the area in 2011 killing 18,000 people.

That quake, one of the most powerful ever recorded, also caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, where a massive clean-up operation is still going on.

How the 2011 quake is still felt in Japan

Officials have said there is no sign of damage to the plant this time.

Image copyright AP Image caption Miyagi prefecture police released a video showing water flowing up the Sunaoshi River as a result of the waves hitting the coast

The US Geological Survey initially put the magnitude at 7.3 but later downgraded this to 6.9, lower than the number given by the Japanese authorities.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in its latest update that no tsunami damage is expected, although there may be slight changes to the sea level.

The agency has also said the latest tremor was an aftershock of the 2011 quake.

A spokesman quoted by Japan Times said the area was still generating at least one earthquake of 7.0 magnitude or more each year.

Heading for higher ground

The depth of Tuesday's quake was estimated to be 30km (18.6 miles), the JMA said.

Image copyright EPA Image caption The agency said seismic activities had continued for years after the 2011 earthquake in Fukushima

Strong tremors could be felt as far away as the capital, Tokyo, 100 miles south of Fukushima prefecture. Buildings in the capital shook for at least 30 seconds.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Japanese broadcaster NHK World reported that people should evacuate immediately

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says tens of thousands of people have heeded evacuation warnings and headed for higher ground.

Ships could be seen moving away from harbours in Fukushima prefecture and car manufacturer Nissan suspended work at its Fukushima engine factory.

A 1m wave hit the coastline near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, but Cabinet Chief Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a televised news conference that "there was no problem".

All reactors were shut down in 2011, but cooling is still needed for the used nuclear fuel stored on the site.

Mr Suga said the water cooling system on the third reactor had stopped working, but there were no signs of further damage or abnormalities.

Tokyo Electric Power, which operates the plant, later said it had restarted the cooling system, and reported only small temperature increases, within safety limits.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The evacuation order caused early morning traffic jams

A wave of 60cm (2ft) arrived in Onahama Port in Fukushima, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported, and another of 90cm in Soma.

There so far appears to have been only minimal damage, and our correspondent says tsunami defences rebuilt since 2011 have ensured that waves have not caused flooding nor damage.

Japan lies in a particularly seismically active region and accounts for around 20% of quakes worldwide of magnitude 6.0 or more.

At least 50 people died in two quakes in the southern Kumamoto prefecture in April.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The tsunami warning was issued for an area including the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant

Meanwhile, an earthquake of 5.6 magnitude and 30km depth hit an area 200km north east of the New Zealand capital, Wellington. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Hugh Glanville told New Zealand's Stuff news website that the quakes "are not directly related".

"One did not cause the other, but are both a result of shifts in the Pacific plate," he said.

Have you been affected by the earthquake? If it is safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:</s>Earthquake hits off Fukushima in Japan; no tsunami warning

TOKYO — A strong earthquake has shaken the same area in Japan hit by a magnitude-7.4 earthquake two days ago. No tsunami warning was issued.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says a magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck Thursday morning off the shore of southern Fukushima prefecture.

It said that there may be slight changes in sea levels, but there is no risk of damage from a tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the magnitude at 5.6.

The earthquake was felt in Tokyo, 225 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of the epicenter.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.</s>Japan lifted a tsunami warning for its northeastern coast nearly four hours after a strong temblor struck Tuesday morning off Fukushima Prefecture, the same region hit hardest by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and nuclear disaster.

The preliminary 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck offshore at 6 a.m., about 150 miles north of Tokyo, leaving buildings swaying throughout the capital.

A tsunami advisory for waves up to three feet remains in effect for much of Japan’s Pacific coast, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The JMA had posted warnings for tsunami waves of up to about 10 feet by 8 a.m. in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. The agency warned that it could take several hours before the tsunamis crest to their highest levels.

Multiple tsunami waves came ashore, with a 4.6-foot wave at Sendai Bay the largest recorded, the JMA said.

Residents at U.S. military bases surrounding Tokyo felt the trembling, but no damages or injuries had been reported as of 8 a.m. Tuesday.

At Misawa Air Base in the northeastern part of Honshu, the 35th Operations Support Squadron issued an advisory for a potential tsunami of less than three feet.

No tsunami warnings were issued in Tokyo and Kanagawa prefectures, home of most U.S. bases on the Japanese main islands.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported that a spent fuel pool’s cooling system at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant went offline for about 90 minutes after the earthquake. The temperature remained at about 84 degrees and presented no safety threat before being restarted, TEPCO officials said.

The Daini plant has been offline since 2011, after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that led to meltdowns at the nearby Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant.

This story will be updated.

Stars and Stripes reporter Hana Kusumoto contributed to this report.</s>A magnitude-7.4 earthquake off Fukushima Prefecture rocked widespread areas early Tuesday, triggering tsunami warnings along the Pacific coast and briefly stopping a nuclear reactor fuel pool’s cooling system.

The temblor, an aftershock from the magnitude-9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake, which struck on March 11, 2011, had registered a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 but was revised to 7.4, the Meteorological Agency said.

The tsunami warnings were later downgraded to advisories.

Shortly after the quake hit, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told an emergency news conference at the Prime Minister’s Office that the reactor 3 nuclear fuel pool cooling system stopped at Tepco’s Fukushima No. 2 plant, where 2,544 spent nuclear fuel rods are. “We have been informed that there is no immediate risk of radiation leaks or rise in the temperatures (of the cooling pool),” Suga said.

NHK later reported that the cooling pump had been reactivated and cooling had resumed at Fukushima No. 2. Tepco said on its website that the magnitude-7.4 quake suspended the cooling system at around 6:10 a.m., but the system was restarted at 7:47 a.m.

Tsunami warnings were issued along the Pacific coast, including in Aomori, Iwate, Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures. A later tsunami warning was also issued for Miyagi Prefecture as well.

The Fukushima and Miyagi warnings were later lifted.

A 1.4-meter tsunami was observed at Sendai port at 8:03 a.m. The 1.4-meter tsunami observed at Sendai was the largest since the March 11, 2011, megaquake, the agency said.

People were told to evacuate immediately to high ground in Fukushima Prefecture, where waves had been forecast to reach 3 meters.

NHK reported that the city of Minami-sona, Fukushima Prefecture, ordered all of its 68,000 residents to evacuate in response to the tsunami warning. Five evacuation centers had been set up in the city, where 150 people fled.

The Meteorological Agency warned of tsunami of up to 1 meter in Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures, urging people to stay away from coastal areas.

According to the agency, tsunami of 90 cm were observed in the city of Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, at 7:06 a.m., while in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, tsunami of 50 cm were observed at 7:08 a.m.

Kyodo quoted the agency as saying tsunami of 60 cm were observed in Onahama in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.

Authorities had warned people to keep alert until the tsunami warnings were lifted, because the waves could hit more than once.

The tsunami advisory for Aomori, Chiba and the Izu Islands was later lifted.

The Meteorological Agency said the earthquake earlier Tuesday was an aftershock of the magnitude-9.0 temblor that hit the Tohoku region in 2011. Even though the scale of the tremors has become much smaller compared to the ones right after the 3/11 earthquake, an agency representative said the seismic activities are still active enough to cause an M.7-class earthquake once a year. The last time an M.7-class aftershock rattled the Tohoku region was in July 2014, according to the agency.

Fukushima Prefectural Police said a fire broke out at a petrochemical complex in the city of Iwaki but was put out in about 25 minutes. No one was injured.

Also, a woman in her 70s was reported injured in the town of Yabuki, Fukushima Prefecture, suffering cuts to the back of her head when dinnerware fell from a cupboard.

The 5:59 a.m. temblor had an intensity of minus-5 on the Japanese seismic scale to 7.

The magnitude-7.4 tremor was followed by a magnitude-5.4 quake off Fukushima Prefecture at around 6:10 a.m. that registered shindo-3 in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, and a magnitude-5.5 tremor hit at around 6:39 a.m. in Fukushima Naka-dori that also registered shindo-3 in parts of Fukushima and Ibaraki.

Earlier reports said Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings was checking if the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, and nearby No. 2 plant, both of which have been shut down since the 2011 mega-quake, were affected.

Kyodo News said Tepco confirmed the Fukushima No. 1 plant was not affected.

According to NHK, the cooling equipment for the spent nuclear fuel pool in the reactor 3 building of Tepco’s Fukushima No. 2 nuclear plant stopped. The reactor has 2,544 spent nuclear fuel rods.

Kyodo also said Tohoku Electric Power Co.’s Onagawa nuclear power plant, which straddles the towns of Onagawa and Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, was not affected. The plant is also offline.

The Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant in the village of Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, also did not report any abnormality.

East Japan Railway Co. suspended some operations on the Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines, while JR Tokai suspended services between Tokyo and Toyohashi stations.

JR Tokai said the Tokaido Shinkansen Line resumed operations at 6:18 a.m.

The Meteorological Agency said the quake struck around 6 a.m at a depth of 10 km (6 miles). The U.S. Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 6.9. The earthquake shook buildings in Tokyo, 240 km (150 miles) southwest of the epicenter.

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant was destroyed by huge tsunami following the March 2011 offshore earthquake, leading to three reactor core meltdowns.</s>A tsunami alert has been issued after powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan

The quake struck 67km northeast of the city of Iwaki located in the southern part of the Hamadori coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture.

It struck on Tuesday morning at about 06:00 local time (21:00 GMT, Monday), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

A ten foot tsunami wave alert has been issued and residents living near the Fukushima coastline are being told to evacuate the area.

The quake was downgraded to 6.9 magnitude

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency the quake struck at 5:59am JST at a depth of 10km.

“Tsunami warnings or advisories are currently in effect,” the agency said.

Residents near the coast are being told to evacuate and seek higher ground. Tsunami waves are expected to hit repeatedly and are expected to arrive imminently in the Fukushima area, the JAM warning said.

“Damage due to tsunami waves is expected.Evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building. Tsunami waves are expected to hit repeatedly. Do not leave safe ground until the warning is lifted,” JMA warned.

Meanwhile the Pacific Tsunami Warning center has issued “a tsunami threat message for other parts of the Pacific located closer to earthquake,” while stressing that there is no tsunami threat for the US state of Hawaii.

According to the latest estimates by Japan’s authorities, waves of up to three meters high will arrive ashore by 6:30am local time.

Tsunami advisories have also been issued for the Pacific coast of Aomori Precture, Iwate Prefecutre, Miyagi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture and the Kujukuri and Sotobo areas of Chiba Prefecture.

NHK News Japan warned those living on the coastline in Fukushima to “hurry up and run away.”

Tsunami waves were seen 20km off the coast of Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture and 20km off the coast of Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture, according to Japan’s NHK who warned people that the waves were heading to shore.</s>Following yesterdays 7.3 earthquake off the coast of Fukushima an aftershock measuring up to 5.7 on the Richter scale has struck the area.

There have been conflicting reports as to the magnitude of today’s aftershock, but no reports of any damage so far.

According to RT Japan’s Meteorological Agency stated that it was 5.7 with its epicenter located off the coast of the Fukushima Prefecture at a depth of 30km.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), however, recorded the shock at 5.2, with a depth of 10km.

Authorities instructed residents in coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground following yesterdays quake and hundreds of schools were closed.

Over 3,000 people fled to evacuation centers in Fukushima Prefecture and at least 14 were injured

The cooling system of a reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power building at the Fukushima No. 2 power plant stopped working after the earthquake but was restarted about 100 minutes later, according to operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the strong earthquake was itself an aftershock of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that triggered a deadly tsunami in the same region in 2011.

The agency also warned that another large quake could hit in the next few days and have urged residents to remain cautious for about a week.</s>An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit northern Japan on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, issuing tsunami alerts for much of the nation’s northern Pacific coast.

The epicentre of the earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of about 10km (six miles), the agency added.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injury, which struck at almost 9pm Irish time.

Tokyo Electric Power Co was checking its nuclear plants in Fukushima for damage, said public broadcaster NHK. The utility was not immediately available for comment.

Tohoku Electric Power Co said there was no damage to its Onagawa nuclear plant.

Television footage showed ships moving out to sea from Fukushima harbours as the meteorological agency warned of a tsunami of 3m (10ft) for Fukushima, where Tepco’s Daiichi nuclear plant was devastated in a March 2011 quake and tsunami.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

The March 11th, 2011, quake was magnitude 9, the strongest quake in Japan on record. The massive tsunami it triggered caused the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, a quarter of a century earlier.

The US Geological Survey initially put Tuesday’s quake at a magnitude of 7.3 but have since downgraded it to 6.9.

All nuclear plants on the coast threatened by the tsunami were shut down in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. Only two reactors are operating in Japan, both in the southwest of the country.

Even when in shutdown mode, nuclear plants need cooling systems operating to keep spent fuel cool.</s>Local residents look out to sea from higher ground after evacuating their homes following a 6.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami alert in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, on November 22, 2016 (AFP Photo/JIJI PRESS)

Tokyo (AFP) - A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan on Tuesday, sparking panic and triggering a tsunami including a one-metre (three-foot) wave that crashed ashore at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.

National broadcaster NHK urged residents to "flee immediately" to higher ground, reminding viewers to heed the lessons of the "Great East Japan Earthquake".

A massive undersea quake with a magnitude of 9.0 that struck in March 2011 unleashed a tsunami that left more than 18,500 people dead or missing. It sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.

An official from plant operator TEPCO told a news conference that a one-metre wave had hit the coast at the facility, but a company spokesman told AFP there were no reports of damage.

About a dozen other waves were recorded elsewhere on the northeast coast, according to the Meterological Agency, but they were smaller than initial warnings of waves as high as 3.0 metres.

The biggest, measuring 1.4 metres, hit the port at Sendai north of Fukushima, but officials said there were no reports of damage there.

NHK aired rolling coverage of the earthquake, with the words "Tsunami! Flee!" in white lettering over a bright red band on the screen.

The Meterological Agency lifted its final tsunami warning nearly seven hours after the earthquake struck.

TEPCO earlier reported that a water cooling system at a reactor in the separate Fukushima Daini facility had briefly stopped, in an automatic response, but that it was back up and operating.

"The biggest risk now is a case whereby contaminated water is carried away with the tsunami, which pollutes the environment," TEPCO's chief decommissioning officer Naohiro Masuda told reporters, of the situation at Fukushima Daiichi.

The 2011 disaster sent radiation levels across the Pacific Ocean soaring and decimated some fishing grounds off Japan's coast.

The global Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research said in July that levels were returning to normal but that the seabed and harbour near Fukushima were still highly contaminated.

Residents along the coast heeding evacuation advice clogged some roads, with a Fukushima newspaper reporting unusual early morning traffic jams in the small city of Soma.

There were no immediate signs of widespread damage and only minor injuries were initially reported.

Fourteen injuries have been reported throughout the region, including three elderly women who broke bones when falling or trying to evacuate.

Still, people along the coast were badly shaken.

"It was huge and lasted so long," Akemi Anzai, from the city of Minamisoma north of the Fukushima plant, said of the quake.

"The tsunami siren warning can be heard from the coastline," she told AFP. "The ground is still shaking. I'm so scared. But my concern is rather the situation at the nuclear plant."

The United States Geological Survey said the 6.9 magnitude quake, at a shallow depth of 11.3 kilometres (seven miles), struck shortly before 6:00 am (2100 GMT on Monday) in the Pacific off Fukushima.

It shook buildings in Tokyo, 230 kilometres to the south.

Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended in the region but gradually resumed, though delays were still being reported.

Sendai airport, which suffered significant damage during the 2011 tsunami, temporarily closed but flights resumed in the morning.

Fishing boats had rushed out to sea to avoid the direct impact of the tsunami, the Sankei Shimbun said.

NHK showed footage of what appeared to be seawater flowing up a river in Miyagi prefecture though none of it surged beyond the banks.

"The fear that I felt almost six years ago came back," Junko Murata, another Minamisoma resident, told AFP.

"Maybe there won't be major damage this time but we will have to remain on edge for years and years," she added, referring to the Fukushima plant.

Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and suffers several relatively violent quakes every year, although high building standards and frequent drills limit the number of casualties.

In April two strong quakes hit Kumamoto prefecture, leaving at least 50 dead and causing widespread damage.</s>An aerial view of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Japan, following a strong earthquake hit off Fukushima on Tuesday.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, sent thousands of residents fleeing for higher ground as dawn broke along the northeastern coast.

A powerful earthquake hit northern Japan early on Tuesday, briefly disrupting the cooling functions of a nuclear plant and generating a small tsunami in the 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 ground 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. It was centred off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of about 10 km, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

A wave of up to 1.4 metres (4.5 feet) high was recorded at Sendai, about 70 km (45 miles) north of Fukushima, with smaller waves hitting ports elsewhere along the coast, public broadcaster NHK said.

Television footage showed ships moving out to sea from harbours as tsunami warnings wailed after alerts of waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) were issued.

“We saw high waves but nothing that went over the tidal barriers,” a man in the city of Iwaki told NTV television network.

Aerial footage showed tsunami waves flowing up rivers in some areas, and some fishing boats were overturned in the port of Higashi-Matsushima before the JMA lifted its warnings.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured Tuesday's quake at magnitude 6.9, down from an initial 7.3.

All Japan's nuclear power plants in the area were shut down in the wake of the March 2011 disaster, which knocked out the cooling systems of the Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing reactors to melt down and spew radiation into the air, soil and sea.

The cooling system of a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel at the reactor at the Fukushima Daini Plant was initially halted on Tuesday, said a spokeswoman of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, known as Tepco, but was restarted soon after.

Only two reactors are operating in Japan, both in the southwest. Nuclear plants need cooling systems operating even when in shutdown to keep spent fuel cool.

Tohoku Electric Power Co said there was no damage to its Onagawa nuclear plant, while the Kyodo news agency reported there were no irregularities at the Tokai Daini nuclear plant in the Ibaraki prefecture.

Japanese Minister for Disaster Management Jun Matsumoto told reporters there were no reports of significant injuries. One woman suffered cuts to her head from falling dishes, Kyodo reported, citing fire department officials.

Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

The March 11, 2011 quake was magnitude 9, the strongest quake ever recorded in Japan. The massive tsunami it generated knocked out the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl a quarter of a century earlier.
A 6.9 magnitude earthquake off Japan's Fukushima Prefecture injures 15 people, and triggers a 1 meter tsunami that causes a temporary power disruption at Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant.