Tokyo, March 16: A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake struck 60 kilometers below the sea.

The region is part of northern Japan that was devastated by a deadly 9.0 quake and tsunami 11 years ago that also caused nuclear plant meltdowns. Wednesday's quake came only days after the area marked the 11th anniversary of the disaster in March 2011.

The agency issued a tsunami advisory for up to a meter (3-foot) sea surge in parts of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. NHK national television said the tsunami might have reached some areas already. Earthquake in Japan: 2 Strong Earthquakes Shake Central Japan, Region Witness Power Outages and Flashes in Sky (Watch Video).

The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that suffered multiple meltdowns following the 2011 quake and tsunami that destroyed its cooling systems, said workers were checking for any possible damage.

The quake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings shook violently. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)