On this day in 2011, the world watched in horror as Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake in its recorded history — a catastrophic event that unleashed a deadly tsunami, upended millions of lives and triggered a nuclear disaster. Fifteen years later, March 11 remains etched in history as the day of a triple tragedy that has shaped disaster response across the world.
TORIDE, Japan – A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Toride, Japan, around 2 a.m. local time Sunday, roughly 40 miles northeast of Tokyo.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck about 2.5 miles north-northwest of Toride at a depth of roughly 48 miles around 1 p.m. ET Saturday, or 2 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, local time in Japan.
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Shaking was felt across the Tokyo metropolitan area, one of the world’s most populous urban regions and home to more than 35 million people.
Moderate shaking was reported across several nearby areas, including parts of Ibaraki, Chiba and Saitama prefectures.
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USGS currently has a Green PAGER alert, indicating a low likelihood of significant fatalities or economic losses.
Shaking from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake was felt across the Tokyo metropolitan area, the world’s most populous metropolitan region and home to more than 35 million people.
(Alfredo Martinez/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no threat of a tsunami from the earthquake.
Japan sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly seismically active region surrounding much of the Pacific Ocean where interactions between tectonic plates produce frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
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The island nation is no stranger to powerful earthquakes, with a long history of destructive quakes and devastating tsunamis shaped by its location along some of the world’s most active tectonic boundaries.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
