Earthquake rattles Japan

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan late Monday, triggering a number of tsunami warnings for parts of the country.

The quake hit at 11.15pm (3.15am Tuesday NZT) about 80km off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island, and 50km below the sea surface.

More than 20 people have been injured and tsunami warnings were issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency for coastal regions in Aomori, Iwate and Hokkaido prefectures.

The agency notes a tsunami of 70cm was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, south of Aomori, and tsunami levels of up to 50cm were recorded at other coastal communities in the region, reports Japan Today.

Its warnings for parts of Japan’s Pacific coast were later downgraded to tsunami advisories.

The government says about 900 homes in the Hokkaido and Tohoku region were left without electricity because of the tremor and Shinkansen bullet trains in the area had been suspended.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara adds officials are gathering information on casualties and property damage, while nuclear power plants in the region are conducting safety checks.

Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture and the Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture reported no anomalies after the quake, reports the Japan Times.

Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate after the earthquake and the meteorological agency has warned there may be aftershocks in the coming days. 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents in the affected areas to be prepared to evacuate and says the government has set up an emergency task force to assess the damage. 

“We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she adds.