Japan Eases Back Tsunami Warning After 7.7-Magnitude Quake

TOKYO, April 20 (Reuters) – A 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurred off the northeast coast of Tokyo. Japan Authorities on Monday were asked to urge residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (10 ft) were expected.

Two hours after the tremor, which occurred at 16:53 (0753 GMT), tsunami waves 80 cm high were detected. The tsunami warning was later downgraded to a tsunami warning.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties or major damage. Japan‘s senior government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, said at a news conference as night fell in the capital Tokyo.

Several port towns such as Otsuchi and Kamaishi, which were both hit hard by the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, had previously issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents, according to public broadcaster NHK. Due to the earthquake, high-speed train services were stopped and some highways were closed.

Following the earthquake, the government warned that the risk of mega-earthquakes was increasing.

Normally the earthquake probability of a magnitude 8 or stronger earthquake Japan Trench and Kuril Trench in the northern offshore Pacific Japan The rate was about 0.1% in one week, but would be higher by around 1% in the week following Monday’s earthquake, a government official said at the press conference.

“Please take anti-disaster steps by embracing the idea that one should protect one’s own life,” the official said.

The earthquake was measured at an “upper 5” magnitude Japan‘s seismic intensity scale – strong enough to make it difficult for people to move and to cause unreinforced concrete block walls to collapse. The epicenter of the tremor was in the Pacific Ocean and was 20 kilometers deep. Japan The Meteorological Agency said.

According to the JMA, a 10-foot tsunami could damage low-lying areas by submerging buildings and sweeping away anyone exposed to the current.

Located in the “Ring of Fire” consisting of volcanoes and ocean trenches that partially surround the Pacific Basin, Japan It is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.

This earthquake is responsible for about 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater, such as the disaster that caused a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant in 2011.

There are no nuclear power plants currently operating in the affected areas, and Hokkaido Electric Power Co 9509.T and Tohoku Electric Power Co 9506.T said no abnormalities were reported at their idled plants there.

(Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom; Writing by Chang-Ran Kim, John Geddie, Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Kate Mayberry, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Chizu Nomiyama)