Tsunami warning lifted after 6.9-magnitude quake strikes off Japan

The Japanese government on Tuesday lifted its tsunami warning for the northeast coast of the country after a powerful earthquake shook the region earlier this day.

"The tsunami advisory has been lifted," the Japan Meteorological Agency said in a statement.

A powerful earthquake off the northeast Japanese shore on Tuesday sent residents fleeing to higher ground and prompted worries about the Fukushima nuclear power plant destroyed by a tsunami five year ago. Lines of cars were seen snaking away from the coast in the pre-dawn hours after authorities issued a tsunami warning and urged residents to seek higher ground immediately. The warning was lifted nearly four hours later.       

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck in the same region that was devastated by a tsunami in 2011, killing some 18,000 people.

There were reports of minor injuries and damage, Japanese broadcaster NHK said. The earthquake shook buildings in Tokyo, 240 kilometers southwest of the epicenter. NHK also showed one person's video of water rushing up a river or canal, but well within the height of the embankment. It was eerily reminiscent of the 2011 disaster, when much larger tsunamis rushed up rivers and overflowed, wiping away entire neighborhoods.

 Tsunami waves were recorded along the coast. The highest one was 1.4 meters in Sendai Bay. A tsunami advisory for waves of up to 1 meter remained in effect along the coast. The operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant said there were no abnormalities observed at the plant, though a swelling of the tide of up to 1 meter was detected offshore.