Powerful Earthquake Strikes Northeast and Northern Japan
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit northeast and northern Japan, injuring at least 52 people, according to local media on Wednesday. The authorities in the prefectures of Aomori, Hokkaido, and Iwate confirmed 37, 11, and 4 people injured, respectively, as reported by the Kyodo news agency. Over 300 schools in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima were closed on Tuesday, but most reopened on Wednesday, except for those that suffered structural damage, according to the agency. The earthquake occurred on Monday at 11:15 p.m. local time off the Pacific coast of Aomori. Some areas in Aomori recorded a level above 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The JMA also issued tsunami warnings for the prefecture of Iwate and parts of the prefectures of Hokkaido and Aomori. Several ports confirmed the arrival of waves, including a 70 cm wave at the port of Kuji in Iwate Prefecture. Shortly after the earthquake, the meteorological agency issued an alert regarding the potential risk of a mega-earthquake along the trench off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. According to the JMA, there is a 1% probability that an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 or more will occur within the next week. This alert, which covers areas from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture, is the first to be issued since the introduction of the mega-earthquake alert category in December 2022. Officials advised the population to remain vigilant until next week, stating that no preventive evacuation is necessary at this time.
