A 7.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern Japan has caused the Japan Racing Association to announce the closure of the Park WINS Fukushima Racecourse from March 19 (Sat.) through March 21 (Mon.), due to damage to the facility and concerns for customer safety.
In addition, in order to allow for thorough inspection of the racecourse facilities, the Fukushima race meetings on April 9 (Sat.) and April 10 (Sun.) will be cancelled.
On these two days, there will be racing at both Nakayama Racecourse and Hanshin Racecourse.
“We wish to express our sympathies to all those affected by the earthquake originating off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture on March 16 (Wed),” the JRA said in a statement. “Further announcements regarding business operations at Park WINS Fukushima Racecourse after March 26 (Sat.), as well as race schedules at Fukushima racecourse after April 16 (Sat.), will be forthcoming.”
According to the Associated Press, the earthquake killed four people and injured 97 more. Over 2 million homes were without electricity, though it was restored quickly except for the hardest-hit homes in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake occurred 56 kilometers (35 miles) below the sea and approximately 20 miles offshore. It triggered tsunami waves of approximately 11 inches.
An earthquake in that same region in 2011 with a magnitude of 9.0 triggered a 23-foot tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people, and the Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear reactors suffered meltdowns and radiation leaks. According to the New York Times, no nuclear reactor issues have been detected following Wednesday's quake.
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