An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan at 2:46 p.m. on Friday.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake struck at a depth of ten kilometers from an area about 24 kilometers east of Sendai on Honshu Island.

Many vehicles were seen floating in areas along the eastern coast after a seven-meter tsunami hit the region.

Fires were reported in some parts of Miyagi Prefecture and the quake also stopped Shinkansen bullet trains.

Sendai Airport was shut down after its runway was flooded with seawater, while operations at five nuclear power plants have also been halted.

A 6.7-magnitude quake jolted most northeastern areas, while a 5.0-magnitude quake was detected in Tokyo.

The extent of the damage and the number of casualties have not been reported, but the quake caused high-rise buildings to shake violently and fires in various areas.

According to reports, a number of people in Tokyo were injured after a roof collapsed at a hall there where a graduation ceremony for 600 students was being held.