7.6-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Japan Coast, Triggers Tsunami Warning

Japan was jolted by a strong earthquake close to its northeast coast on Monday, which prompted the authorities to issue a tsunami alert.

The tremors were measured to be of 7.6 magnitude on the Richter scale, according to an initial update shared by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The earthquake was reported close to Japan's Aomori prefecture at around 11:15 p.m. local time. The tremors erupted from a depth of 50 km, the country's official weather agency said. There were no immediate reports on damages or casualties.

The tsunami warnings have been issued for Japan's northern prefectures of Aomori, Hokkaido and Iwate, Bloomberg News reported.

The country's meteorological agency has warned that tsunami waves of up to 10 feet, or around three metres, could hit the regions where the warning has been sounded.

The strong earthquake sparked concerns over the safety of nuclear power plants in the region. However, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported, citing officials, that there were no issues at the Fukushima and Higashidori nuclear plants.

Users on social media shared videos showing tsunami warnings being issued from speakers in the affected areas of northern Japan. The persons in affected areas have been asked to vacate to higher grounds, netizens claimed.

Power outages were reported in parts of northern Japan. In Tohoku region, about 3,800 buildings were left without power, Bloomberg reported, whereas limited outages were also reported in Hokkaido area. Also, the operations at 600-megawatt Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Tomato-Atsuma Power Station were reportedly paused following the earthquake as a precautionary measure.

The Japan government has set up a task force to monitor the situation following the issuance of tsunami alert, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has warned residents to stay alert, as there exists a possibility of another upper-6-level quake.