7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Japan, tsunami warning issued
Authorities warned of waves up to 3m along the northeastern coast as a crisis team was established.
7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Japan, tsunami warning issued
Authorities warned of waves up to 3m along the northeastern coast as a crisis team was established.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning for waves up to 3 metres along the northern shoreline2. The tremor occurred at 16:53 local time in Pacific waters off Iwate prefecture and was strong enough to shake large buildings as far as Tokyo2.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake had an epicentre in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 10 kilometres1. One source reported the magnitude as 7.51. The biggest waves were expected in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures1.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the government had set up an emergency task force and urged citizens in affected areas to evacuate to safety1. The prime minister's office confirmed it had established a crisis management team2.
The meteorological agency warned that tsunami waves could reach the northern shoreline immediately and urged residents to "evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building"2. It cautioned that tsunami waves were expected to hit repeatedly and advised people not to leave safe ground until the warning was lifted2.
National broadcaster NHK showed ships sailing out of Hachinohe port in Hokkaido in anticipation of the waves as an alert reading "Tsunami! Evacuate!" appeared on screen1. Bullet train services in Aomori, at the northern tip of Honshu island, were halted due to the tremors1.
The quake measured an "upper 5" on Japan's seismic intensity scale, strong enough to make it difficult for people to move and in many cases cause unreinforced concrete-block walls to collapse1. Footage from NHK did not show immediate visible damage around several ports in Iwate2.
Japan experiences tremors at least every five minutes and accounts for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater1. There are no nuclear power plants currently in operation in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions1.