Japanese Authorities Issue Tsunami Alert After Powerful Earthquake
Japanese authorities issued a tsunami alert on Tuesday, just hours after a powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the northeastern regions, leaving at least 30 people injured and forcing around 90,000 to evacuate their homes.
The earthquake occurred off the coast on Monday at 23:15 (14:15 GMT). The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that tsunami waves of up to 3 meters high could hit the northeastern coast. The agency added that warnings had been issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, and that tsunami waves of 20-70 centimeters had been observed in several ports.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the JMA initially downgraded the warnings to advisories and later lifted them. No major damage was reported. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, at a depth of 54 kilometers. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters, "So far, I have received information about 30 injured and a fire."
Following the quake, the JMA issued a warning for a vast area stretching from Hokkaido Island in northern Japan to Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, urging residents to prepare for the possibility of another powerful earthquake in the coming week. A JMA official said at a press conference, "There is a possibility of more powerful and intense earthquakes in the coming days."
No damage was reported at nuclear power plants in the region, operated by Tohoku and Hokkaido electric power companies, although thousands of households were left without electricity immediately after the earthquake. Power was restored on Tuesday morning. After the tsunami alert on the Pacific coast, government spokesperson Minoru Kihara urged residents to stay safe until the alert was lifted. The government also expressed concerns about powerful earthquakes to come in the next few days at a separate press conference.
