A 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan, leaving dozens of people injured
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Monday night, injuring at least 30 people and prompting thousands to flee their homes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the earthquake struck at 23:15 (14:15 GMT), approximately 80 km off the coast of the Aomori region, at a depth of 50 km (31 miles). A tsunami warning was issued but has since been lifted, although waves up to 70 cm (27 inches) high were observed.
The earthquake caused some train services to be suspended and left thousands of homes without power. According to local media reports, authorities have also warned that stronger aftershocks are possible in the coming days and have urged residents to remain on high alert for at least a week.
Addressing those affected by the earthquake, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, “Please reinforce your daily earthquake preparedness measures, such as securing your furniture, and be ready to evacuate immediately if you feel tremors.”
According to Reuters news agency, evacuation orders have been issued for approximately 90,000 people.
The Aomori prefectural government said that about 2,700 households are without power. East Japan Railway has also suspended some services along the northeastern coast.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that the Japanese government has established a response office at the Prime Minister’s Crisis Management Center and has convened an emergency team.
He said, “We are doing our utmost to assess the damage and implement emergency disaster response measures, including rescue and relief operations.”
Following the tremors, Japanese electric company Tohoku Electric Power said there were no reports of any abnormalities at its Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants due to the earthquake.
Japanese authorities also informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that no problems were found at the site of the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power station.
Fukushima was hit when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the country’s eastern coast on March 11, 2011.
The earthquake was the most powerful ever to hit Japan, triggering a tsunami that devastated the main island of Honshu, killing more than 18,000 people and wiping entire cities off the map.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. It lies on the Ring of Fire and, as a result, experiences around 1,500 earthquakes each year.
Earlier this year, Japan’s Earthquake Investigation Panel said there was a 60-90% chance of a mega-earthquake in the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years, with worst-case scenarios suggesting it could cause billions of dollars in damage and kill millions.
Earthquakes in the Nankai Trough—a seismically active area along Japan’s Pacific coast—have already killed thousands.
