Japan was hit by a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and orders for about 90,000 residents
Japan was hit by a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and orders for about 90,000 residents to evacuate. The Japanese Meteorological Agency confirmed that the first waves, of up to 70cm, were reported in Kuji Port. The waves could surge up to 10 feet.
The epicentre of the quake was 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 54 km, the agency added.
Tsunami warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and tsunamis from 20 to 70 cm (7 to 27 inches) high were observed at several ports, JMA said.
It was later reported that the government had downgraded the tsunami warning to an advisory.
A tsunami warning signals that a powerful, hazardous tsunami is imminent or already occurring, urging immediate evacuation to higher ground. A tsunami advisory indicates expected strong currents or minor flooding, but not widespread destruction.
The JMA cautioned that “There is a possibility that further powerful and stronger earthquakes could occur over the next several days,” urging residents to remain on alert.
Authorities quickly issued an advisory covering a vast stretch of the country, from Hokkaido down to Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, warning of the risk of another major quake within a week.
As of 1700 GMT, public broadcaster NHK reported a few confirmed casualties. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi later added, “As of now, I am hearing that there have been seven injuries reported.”
East Japan Railway suspended some services in the affected area, which was devastated during the 2011 quake and tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people and triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This time, Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power reported no abnormalities at nearby nuclear facilities. Power outages were initially estimated in the thousands but were later revised down to the hundreds.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
