More than 20 reported injured.
1 of 3 | A house burns Tuesday morning after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Aomori, northeastern Japan, struck Monday night. Photo by EPA/JiJi Press
A 7.5 -magnitude earthquake struck the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island on Monday night, and tsunami warnings were lifted several hours later.
The quake hit northeastern Japan off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture, about 50 miles northeast of Hachinohe, at 1:15 p.m. Monday local time at a depth of 0.9 miles, Japan Meteorological Agency said.
More than 20 people reportedly were injured.
The U.S. Geological Survey listed it as 7.6 with an aftershock of 6.6 reported 7 1/2 hours later, about 78 miles south of Honcho. Several other aftershocks were reported.
The quake triggered tsunamic warnings for coastal areas of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures.
Three hours later, the warnings were downgraded to an advisory early Tuesday, after waves of up to 2.3 feet in height were detected in some areas, according to NHK.
Japan Meteorological Agency warned of future earthquakes in the area.
“To everyone in the central Hokkaido Pacific coastal area, the Aomori Prefecture Pacific coastal area, and Iwate Prefecture where a tsunami warning has been issued, please evacuate immediately to safe locations such as high ground or evacuation buildings,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted Monday morning on X.
The earthquake initially was recorded as 7.2 magnitude and felt as far south as Tokyo. It then was listed as 7.6 but downgraded to 7.5.
“I’ve never experienced such a big shaking,” shop owner Nobuo Yamada told The Independent.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 23 people were injured, including one seriously.
About 800 residences in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions were without power, but utilities said that electricity was restored as of 5 a.m. Tuesday.
About 200 passengers were stranded overnight at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, NHK reported.
No significant infrastructure damage was reported.
East Japan Railway Company said outbound trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen were suspended between Fukushima and Shin-Aomori stations due to the earthquake.
Nuclear power plants in Hokkaido, Aomori, Miyagi and Fukushima reported no functional abnormalities while bullet train service was halted between Fukushima and Shin-Aomori.
Earlier, the discharge of treated radioactive water at the Fukushima plant was temporarily suspended as a precaution.
“Based on the instruction from the prime minister, we are mobilizing all resources for assessing the damage, conducting search-and-rescue operations and implementing emergency disaster relief measures under the policy of prioritizing human life,” the top government spokesperson said during a news conference.
It’s the latest earth-shattering quake in the Japanese islands, most recently over the summer, following a Russia-based quake that impacted Japanese shores.
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