4 dead after 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Coast Off Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture

Tens of thousands of Japanese families were still without electricity Thursday morning, ten hours after a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed at least four people and injured more than 100, as well as halting transportation to the northeast.

Wednesday’s earthquake, off the coast of Fukushima, led to the indefinite suspension of high-speed train service (Shinkansen) and the closure of at least one major highway.

Electricity was cut off to parts of Tokyo immediately, but power was restored to most of them within three hours.

But by 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), 24,270 households in northeastern Japan were without power, the local power company said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said four people had died and the government would remain on high alert for further strong tremors in two or three days.

It was reported that at least 107 others were injured, some seriously. The water supply to 4,300 families was cut off by midday.