Japan Removes Tsunami Warnings After Powerful Quake In North

Japanese authorities ended all tsunami warnings after a powerful magnitude-7.5 quake struck off the coast of Aomori, in the northeast of the country, late on Monday.

Waves as high as 70 cm (28 inches) were recorded in the region earlier, with no reports of damage, according to broadcaster TV Asahi. Some 30 people have been reported injured, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a briefing to reporters on Tuesday morning.

The quake was followed by a series of smaller tremors in the same area and the Japan Meteorological Agency will keep an alert for further quakes in the Hokkaido-Sanriku offshore region in place until December 16.

Local utility Hokkaido Electric Power Co. said there were no power outages due to the earthquake as of 5 a.m. Tuesday. A spokesperson said by phone that two interconnection facilities had been halted, but its new Kitahon interconnection facility is still operating. There were no reports of significant impact on infrastructure or issues identified at nearby nuclear power stations.

Japan’s communications ministry said none of the major fixed line or mobile carriers had reported any outages as of 1:15 am JST. Some bullet train services remained delayed or suspended as of 8:22 a.m., East Japan Railway Co. said on its website.

The earthquake hit near Japan’s Aomori prefecture at around 11:15 p.m. local time with a magnitude of 7.5 and depth of 50 km, according to the country’s weather agency. Shaking intensity reached upper 6 on a scale of 7 in the worst-affected areas, and the tremor was felt in some parts of Tokyo, more than 550 km (340 miles) away.