Magnitude 7.6 quake strikes off Japan’s northern coast
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a strong earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan, triggering a tsunami alert and ordering residents to evacuate.
The agency stated that the 7.6 magnitude earthquake was off the coast of Hokkaido near the coastal city of Aomori, with the epicenter about 50 kilometers below the sea surface.
A tsunami warning of up to 3 meters was issued in the region.
Warnings were issued for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures, and a 40cm tsunami was observed in Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara and Hokkaido’s Urakawa ports, the agency said.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that nuclear power plants in the region were carrying out safety checks.
According to NHK, many people were injured at a hotel in Aomori town of Hachinohe.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government established an emergency task force to urgently assess the extent of damage.
“We put people’s lives first and do everything we can,” he said.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.
East Japan Railways suspended some train services in the region hit by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March 2011.
Situated in the Ring of Fire arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partially surround the Pacific Basin, the country is responsible for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.
via Reuters
