Photos: Strong quake hits Japan's northeast coast, no tsunami risk

Tokyo: A strong earthquake hit off the coast of northeastern Japan late Saturday, shaking Fukushima, Miyagi and other areas, but there was no threat of a tsunami, officials said.

A lamp is used during an outage. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said there were no irregularities at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which experienced meltdowns following a massive quake and tsunami 10 years ago.

There were no immediate reports of irregularities from other nuclear plants in the area, such as Onagawa or Fukushima Dai-ni, government spokesperson Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

A firefighter vehicle patrols streets. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake had a magnitude of 7.3, raising it from a preliminary magnitude of 7.1.

Damaged buildings in Fukushima. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said that some 860,000 homes were without power as a result of the quake, but electricity was gradually being restored, according to Kato.

People in front of the ticket gates at JR Sendai Station. Kato said there was no danger of a tsunami from the quake. He said that some trains in northeastern Japan had stopped running, and that other damage was still being checked.

Video from public broadcaster NHK TV showed some pieces of a building wall had broken off and fallen to the ground, and pieces of glass were scattered at a store. Items fell off shelves because of the shaking, NHK said. NHK aerial footage showed a portion of a highway blocked by a landslide in Soma, a city in Fukushima prefecture.

A landlady stands near damaged bowls. The extent of damage from the landslide was not immediately clear, Kato said. He said there were several reports of minor injuries from the quake, such as a man getting hit by a falling object.

Government officials work at the disaster response headquarters in Fukushima. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was centered about 55 kilometers (34 miles) beneath the ocean, changing it from the earlier estimate for 60 kilometers (37 miles).

People wait for taxi around Sendai Station. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga headed into his office immediately after reports of the quake, and a crisis center was set up there. He said there were no reports of major injuries.

"We will continue to respond, putting human lives first," Suga told reporters early Sunday. The shaking was felt in Tokyo, to the southwest.

A man reacts at a disaster public housing in Minamisoma, Fukushima. The same northeastern area was slammed by a quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in March 2011. Experts warned of aftershocks over the next several days, including possibly larger quakes.

Some people were taking shelter at evacuation centers, and were being warned to practice social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A structure falls due to an earthquake in Koorimachi, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan.

A worker scoops out water following an earthquake inside Fukushima station in Fukushima, northeastern Japan.

A police officer directs traffic during an outage following an earthquake in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture.

A house is damaged due to an earthquake in Koorimachi, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan.