Web desk: Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for parts of the country’s east coast following a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck off the coast on Monday.
A tsunami reaching heights of up to three metres or 10 feet could strike Japan’s northeastern coast following a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that occurred offshore, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported.
The tsunami warning has been issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate areas of Japan.
The warning came after the quake shook large parts of northern and eastern Japan at 11:15 PM local time (1415 GMT).
According to the agency, the earthquake’s epicentre was located 80 km or 50 miles off the coast of Aomori Prefecture. It occurred at a depth of 50 km or 30 miles.
‘Japan’s capital Tokyo felt strong tremors during the earthquake, which lasted for longer than 30 seconds,’ CNN reports.
Japan earthquake
Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, stated that her government would collaborate closely with local authorities to assess the damage and implement emergency response measures.
The government would be “acting as one under the principle of putting human life first,” she emphasised.
Japan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
The country’s most devastating recent quake was the 9.1-magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011. It triggered a massive tsunami and a nuclear disaster.
On Japan’s 1–7 seismic intensity scale, the tremor in Aomori prefecture was rated as an “upper 6.”
This means it is strong enough to make it impossible to stand or move without crawling, reports Reuters.
Such quakes can cause heavy furniture to collapse and damage walls, windowpanes, and tiles in many buildings.
East Japan Railway suspended some services in the affected area. It was also hit by the massive 9.0-magnitude Tohoku earthquake in March 2011.
No issues were reported at nuclear power plants in the region operated by Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power.
Although Tohoku Electric said thousands of households were without power, as reported by Reuters.
