Magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits Japan

HOKKAIDO: A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northeastern coast late Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and forcing residents to evacuate.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that a tsunami of up to three metres (10 feet) could hit the northeastern coast following the offshore tremor, which occurred at 11:15 p.m. (1415 GMT).

Tsunami alerts were issued for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, and waves of 40 centimetres were already recorded at Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori and Urakawa in Hokkaido before midnight, the agency said.

The epicentre was located 80 km off the coast of Aomori at a depth of 50 km.

Japan, one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, experiences tremors at least every five minutes. Authorities suspended some train services, including those operated by East Japan Railway, in affected areas.

The region had also been struck by a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake in March 2011. Located in the “Ring of Fire”, a volcanic and seismic belt encircling the Pacific, Japan experiences about 20 per cent of the world’s magnitude 6.0 or higher earthquakes.

Sadiq Khan