A strong earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami alert for the region. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5, hit off the Sanriku coast in northern Japan at about 4:53 pm (0753 GMT), at a depth of roughly 10 kilometres (6 miles) beneath the seabed.
A tsunami measuring around 80 centimetres (2.6 feet) was observed at Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, while a smaller wave of 40 centimetres (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port in the same area.
Officials urged residents to stay away from coastal areas and riverbanks, and to seek refuge on higher ground without delay. They also warned of possible aftershocks over the coming week.
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Authorities in Iwate prefecture issued non-binding evacuation advisories covering 11 towns. Sources said tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) could reach the area. Along with the alert for Iwate and neighbouring Aomori, as well as southeastern Hokkaido, a lower-level tsunami advisory was also issued for the Pacific coasts of Miyagi and Fukushima, south of the epicentre.
A previous earthquake of similar magnitude in December resulted in dozens of injuries.This comes 15 years after the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, which struck northern Japan, killing more than 22,000 people and displacing nearly half a million, most due to the tsunami’s impact.
About 1,60,000 residents fled Fukushima following radiation leaks from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Roughly 26,000 are yet to return, having resettled elsewhere, remained barred from their hometowns, or continued to worry about radiation risks.
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