An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale hit the Fukushima Prefecture early this morning at a depth of about 13 miles, but officials say the equipment is stable for now.
The plant was heavily damaged in 2011 after an earthquake and tsunami hit and caused three reactors to melt; a cooling plant was also affected. Since then, radioactive water has been leaking into the Pacific, although it was announced on Thursday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has ordered Tokyo Electric Power Company to scrap all six reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in order to focus on stopping the leaks. As of now, no new issues have been reported or are expected at Fukushima, but experts say the damage done in 2011 will most likely be much more difficult to clean up than even Three-Mile Island.
The area is situated inside the “Ring of Fire”, an area known to hold 90% of the world’s earthquakes. Volcanic activity is also increased in this area.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
