Powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan, tsunami alert issued
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck off the northern coast of Japan near Sanriku at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, prompting a tsunami alert from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
- Tsunami waves of up to 80 centimeters were detected in Iwate prefecture, with warnings of possible waves reaching up to 3 meters in the region, leading to non-binding evacuation advisories for 11 towns.
- Residents were urged to stay away from coastal and river areas and seek higher ground due to the risk of aftershocks expected to continue for about a week.
- The agency issued tsunami alerts for Iwate, Aomori, and southeastern Hokkaido, and a milder advisory for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
- The earthquake recalls the devastating 2011 magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami that caused over 22,000 deaths and long-term displacement, especially around the Fukushima nuclear plant area.
