Car makers Toyota and Nissan suspended operations at their plants in northern Japan after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima prefecture late on Wednesday.
Work at Toyota’s factories in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures was still suspended on Thursday and the company is deciding whether to resume production later in the day, spokeswoman Shiori Hashimoto said.
Toyota’s popular Yaris compact car is among the vehicles made at the plants.
Nissan halted production at its factory in the city of Iwaki in Fukushima. The plant was already scheduled to close on Thursday and Friday as part of Nissan’s employee vaccination schedule, spokeswoman Azusa Momose said.
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An earthquake caused goods to be scattered across the floor of a convenience store in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture. Reuters -
The powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted eastern Japan on Wednesday night, rattling the capital, Tokyo, and prompting a tsunami advisory for parts of the northeast coast. AFP -
People shop in a residential area during a power cut in Koto district, Tokyo. AFP -
People queue for taxis at Sendai station after train services from the city were suspended. EPA -
Travellers wait for rail services to resume at a train station in Tokyo. AP -
Police officers in Tokyo try to restart traffic signals during a power cut by attaching an electric generator to the lights. Reuters -
The floor of a restaurant in Fukushima is littered with food and broken crockery. EPA -
Damaged pavement slabs in front of JR Fukushima Station appeared to have cracked due to the impact of the earthquake. AFP -
Furniture and electrical appliances are scattered about an apartment in Fukushima. Reuters -
Part of the wall of a condominium collapsed. Reuters -
The earthquake, which cut power to more than two million households, was centred off the coast of Fukushima at a depth of 60 kilometres. AFP
While there was some damage at Toyota’s plants, there haven’t been any reports of employee injuries, according to the company.
Nissan said all of its employees have been moved to safety and there was no damage affecting production or injuries reported at its Iwaki factory, Ms Momose said.
Some equipment was damaged at Denso's Fukushima plant, a spokeswoman for the Toyota supplier said on Thursday. Denso is assessing how production might be impacted, she said.
Toyota also halted operations at its engine factory in Miyagi but operations are set to resume on Thursday after safety checks, Ms Hashimoto said.
Wednesday night’s earthquake killed four people and injured more than 100.
Toyota’s shares were up 1.8 per cent at the trading break in Tokyo while Nissan added 1.5 per cent and Denso rose 3.9 per cent.
