Major earthquake strikes Japan’s north-east coast

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in northeastern Japan and thousands of people were reportedly ordered to evacuate their homes.

The earthquake struck at 23:15 (14:15 GMT) at a depth of 50 km (31 miles), about 80 km off the coast of Aomori prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

This led to tsunami warnings, which have now been lifted. 70 cm (27 in) seen.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at least seven people were injured and warned residents to be on the lookout for new tremors for another week.

Addressing citizens affected by the earthquake, he said: “Reaffirm your daily earthquake preparedness, such as making sure furniture is secured, and prepare to evacuate immediately if you feel shaken.”

According to the Reuters news agency, orders have been issued for the evacuation of approximately 90,000 residents.

Chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said the government had established a response office within the prime minister’s crisis management center and assembled an emergency team.

“We are making every effort to assess the damage and implement immediate disaster response measures, including rescue and relief operations,” he added.

Some high-speed train services were stopped on the northeast coast.

Tohoku Electric Power said no irregularities were reported at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants as a result of the earthquake.

Japanese officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency that none were detected at the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power plant site either.

Fukushima was damaged by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s east coast on March 11, 2011.

The earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, triggered a tsunami that devastated the main island of Honshu, killing more than 18,000 people and wiping entire towns off the map.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.