Japan earthquake: Tsunami warning issued near Fukushima nuclear plant after 7.3 magnitude tremor

Residents in Japan have been left terrified after a huge 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Fukushima sparking a tsunami warning.

Buildings were reportedly left shaking after the huge earthquake struck causing tremors that were felt as far away as Tokyo more than 180 miles away. Witnesses claim it felt like there were two quakes, with the second lasting for around two minutes but it's not yet clear if any people were injured or the scale of damage caused.

Parts of the Japanese capital have endured power outages as a result, with reports suggesting two million people have been affected, the Mirror reports. YouTuber Chris Broad wrote on Twitter: "Scariest earthquake in ten years.

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"Had an actual panic attack & thought the whole bloody building was coming down. Started with a big one that died off.

"Then all of a sudden a 2nd massive one that knocked half the apartment over. Fire alarms going off all around Sendai right now."

Musician Shinya Mizoguchi wrote: "That was one of the longest earthquakes I’ve ever experienced. Hope everyone in Japan is safe."

One witness posted on the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (ESMC) website : "Two one after another. Second was the strongest. Not too bad but in this area of Northern Tokyo it seemed to go on for a couple minutes."

Another wrote: "Felt very strongly in Kashima. Apartment was strongly swaying the entire time."

The tremor registered magnitude 7.3 and was as high as a 6-plus on the Japanese shaking intensity scale in some areas - too strong for people to stand, according to public broadcaster NHK. The US Embassy in Tokyo tweeted: "Around 11:36 PM a 7.3 earthquake struck northeastern Japan.

"A tsunami advisory has been issued for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. Stay away from water. Power outages have been reported in multiple areas - including Tokyo. Rail travel may be disrupted. Continue to monitor news."

The same region was hit by a major quake followed by a tsunami in 2011 that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.