A powerful earthquake struck off north-eastern Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to warn of tsunami waves of up to three metres and urge residents to stay away from coastal areas.
The magnitude-7.5 quake hit at 4.52pm in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 10km, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. It registered an “upper 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, strong enough to make movement difficult and potentially topple non-reinforced concrete-block walls.
Tsunami waves of up to 80cm were detected within an hour of the jolt, while warnings remained in place for waves reaching as high as 3 metres. The largest surges were expected to strike Iwate and Aomori prefectures on Honshu island, and the northern island of Hokkaido.
Several coastal towns, including Otsuchi and Kamaishi – both devastated in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan – issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said an emergency task force had been established and called on people in affected areas to move to higher ground. “Possible damage and casualties are now being assessed,” she said.
The meteorological agency warned strong aftershocks could continue in the coming days and weeks. Footage aired by NHK showed ships leaving port in Hachinohe in anticipation of larger waves, as evacuation alerts flashed across screens.
Authorities said a three-metre tsunami could inundate low-lying areas, flood buildings and pose a serious risk to anyone caught in the currents.
Bullet trains in Aomori were suspended after the earthquake, Kyodo News reported.
Japan sits along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent earthquakes, accounting for about 20 per cent of the world’s quakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher. The country is still marked by the memory of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which triggered nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima.
Officials said there are no operating nuclear power plants in the affected areas. Utilities, including Hokkaido Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power, reported no abnormalities at idled facilities.
