TOKYO – When a powerful earthquake shook homes, knocked out power and derailed an express train in northern Japan late Wednesday night, memories of the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that struck Japan 11 years ago came back.
As of 4 a.m. Thursday, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported one death in Minamisuma and at least 88 people infected in several prefectures.
“Another big earthquake again,” One user wrote on Twitter. “11 years ago, I watched an explosion at the Fukushima power plant on TV after the earthquake hit Fukushima.” “I remember the horror of that day,” the Twitter user wrote, remembering the rush to evacuate parents who lived not far from the nuclear reactor where three reactors melted down.
another person remember Without food or water after the March 11, 2011 earthquake, he gave us some advice: “Disaster will come by the time we forget. Be careful, everyone.”
Aiko Sawada, retired medical researcher wrote on twitter“Another big earthquake in Tohoku. And so shortly after the 3.11th anniversary. I pray the damage remains minimal.”
A sense of long-term shock permeated many social media comments shortly after Wednesday’s earthquake.
“The moment the earthquake struck, I remembered the Great East Japan Earthquake,” Wrote another poster. “There are not many days when I feel safe. I am very concerned about the safety of people in the Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. Please be careful of the aftershocks.”
Concern about another nuclear accident has also been a recurring topic.
“Every time an earthquake strikes, I worry about the nuclear plants,” Read 1 post. “It is very dangerous to build nuclear plants in Japan.”
Wednesday’s earthquake caused much less damage than the much larger earthquake of 2011. The tsunamis were all small in size, much less than in 2011, when some waves reached more than 45 feet in height and more than 19,000 people died. More than 2,500 people are still missing.
Hikari HidaAnd the Hisako UenoAnd the makiko ino And the Hiroko Tabuchi Contribute to reporting