A powerful earthquake off the Japanese coast sent residents fleeing to higher ground and triggered worries about the Fukushima nuclear power plant destroyed by a tsunami five years ago.

At least 14 people were killed as a powerful typhoon sparked mudslides which destroyed homes on a Japanese island before sweeping up the Pacific coast, grounding hundreds of flights and disrupting Tokyo’s transport network during rush hour.

A magnitude-7.1 aftershock rattled Japan today – exactly one month after a massive earthquake which spawned a devastating tsunami.