Offshore earthquake was an aftershock of 2011 deadly quake; causes tsunamis and nuclear worries in Japan

The strong earthquake that struck Tuesday off the coast of Fukushima prefecture was an aftershock of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that spawned a deadly tsunami in the same region in 2011, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency warned that another large quake could hit in the next few days and urged residents to remain cautious for about a week.

Lines of cars were seen snaking away from the coast in the predawn hours after authorities issued a tsunami warning and urged residents to seek higher ground immediately. The warning was lifted nearly four hours later.

The magnitude 7.4 aftershock struck in the same region that was devastated by a tsunami in 2011, killing about 18,000 people.

There were reports of minor injuries and damage, Japanese broadcaster NHK said. The earthquake shook buildings in Tokyo, 150 miles southwest of the epicenter.

NHK also showed one person’s video of water rushing up a river or canal, but well within the height of the embankment. It was eerily reminiscent of the 2011 disaster, when much larger tsunamis rushed up rivers and overflowed, wiping away entire neighborhoods.

On Tuesday, tsunami waves were recorded along the coast. The highest one was 4.6 feet in Sendai Bay. A tsunami advisory for waves of up to 3 feet remained in effect along the coast.

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UPDATES:

9:51 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the quake being an aftershock of the 2011 deadly earthquake.

6 p.m.: This article was updated with the lifting of the tsunami warning, reports of minor injuries and damage and more background information about the 2011 tsunami.

4:20 p.m.: This article was updated with the magnitude being upgraded to 7.4 and additional details throughout.

3 p.m.: This article was updated with tsunamis of up to three feet being recorded.

1:55 p.m.: This article was updated with the USGS report on the earthquake’s magnitude and additional details.

This article was originally published at 1:20 p.m.