7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes northern Japan; Tsunami warning issued

NEW DELHI: A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck offshore northern Japan on Monday evening, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation orders across several prefectures, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The quake occurred at 11:15 p.m. Japan time at a depth of around 50-53 km, with the epicentre located off the coast of Aomori, northeast of Misawa.

Following the tremor, JMA issued tsunami warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, and a tsunami advisory for Miyagi and Fukushima. Observed waves reached 40 cm in parts of northern Japan, including Urakawa in Hokkaido and Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori. Authorities cautioned that waves up to three metres remained possible along the northeastern coast.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also reported that hazardous waves could affect coastal areas within 1,000 km of the epicentre, including parts of Japan and Russia.

The earthquake shook a wide region across Japan's north and east, registering an "upper 6" on Japan's 1-7 seismic intensity scale in parts of Aomori-strong enough to make standing difficult.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had activated an emergency task force to evaluate the damage. "We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can," she told reporters. Public broadcaster NHK reported several injuries at a hotel in the Aomori city of Hachinohe. East Japan Railway suspended some train services in the affected areas as safety checks were conducted.

Japan sits along the Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone responsible for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher. Authorities continue to monitor the situation as aftershocks are expected. (Agencies)

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