Japan earthquake: A look back at other major quakes that hit the country this decade

The Japan Meteorological Agency says 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 agency warned that another large quake could hit in the next few days and urged residents to remain cautious for about a week. [caption id=“attachment_3118734” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A news conference next to the map showing an earthquake epicentre off the coast of Fukushima prefecture. Reuters[/caption] Tuesday’s magnitude 7.4 quake triggered moderate tsunamis, but nothing high enough to cause major damage. It was the largest earthquake in the northeast Japan region since the 2011 quake and some large aftershocks the same day. Here are some major earthquakes to have hit Japan in the past decade: 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami A 8.9-magnitude earthquake — Japan’s most powerful since records began has struck the north-east coast — struck about 400 kilometres north-east of Tokyo, triggering a massive tsunami. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami left 15,894 dead, 2,557 missing and 6,152 injured. Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant also experienced full meltdowns at three reactors. 2015 off the Ogasawara islands A 8.5 magnitude earthquake struck near remote Japanese islands and shook most of the country, although it occurred well beneath the earth’s surface and did not trigger a tsunami warning. Several people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and there were no reports of deaths or major damage. The quake struck off the Ogasawara islands at a depth of 590 kilometres. 2010 Bonin Islands earthquake A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off southern Japan. The epicentre of the earthquake was 155 kilometres off the Bonin Islands, some 1,000 kilometres south-east of Tokyo, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). There were no reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, reported BBC. 2012 Kamaishi earthquake A 7.3-magnitude quake struck off Japan’s eastern coast, triggering a small tsunami, reported NBC News. The quake’s epicentre was around 245 kilometres south-east of Kamiashi at a depth of around 36 kilometres, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had said there was no threat to the wider Pacific Ocean, reported the BBC. 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes Two strong earthquakes hit southern Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture followed by more than 1,700 aftershocks, leaving at least 50 dead and causing widespread damage. With inputs from agencies