Earthquake strikes Fukushima, Japan PM calls to scrap reactors

A 5.9 preliminary magnitude earthquake struck Fukushima Prefecture early Friday, close to the site of a 2011 nuclear power plant meltdown, Japan's Kyodo News reported, after the nation's prime minister urged the plant to shut down its remaining reactors.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck early Friday at a depth of about 13 miles under Fukushima Prefecture and about 110 miles northeast of Tokyo.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert.

Kyodo reported the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., observed no abnormality in radiation or equipment after the quake.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday ordered TEPCO to scrap all six reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and concentrate on tackling pressing issues like leaks of radioactive water.

The 2011 disaster caused three reactors to melt and damaged a fuel cooling pool at another. Officials have acknowledged that radiation-contaminated groundwater has been seeping into the Pacific Ocean since soon after the meltdowns.

Earlier this month, Japan's nuclear regulator announced radiation readings had reached an all-time high surrounding the tanks, built hastily to store contaminated water being flushed over three reactors that melted down in 2011.

The radiation levels were reportedly high enough to kill and unprotected person within hours.

Al Jazeera and wire services