Powerful 7.6 Quake Off Japan Triggers Tsunami Alerts

A major earthquake registering 7.6 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of northern Japan late Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and prompting urgent evacuations along the Pacific coastline.

The quake, recorded by the United States Geological Survey at a depth of roughly 53 kilometres, hit offshore near Misawa on the Pacific coast, about 80 kilometres from the coast of Aomori prefecture.

Within minutes the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for Aomori, Iwate and Hokkaido prefectures. The first wave, measuring 40 cm, struck a port in Aomori’s coast soon after 11:43 pm local time, followed by a second 40 cm wave in Urakawa in Hokkaido just minutes later.

Earlier, the JMA had warned of possible waves as high as three metres in some coastal zones. Residents were urged to evacuate immediately to higher ground or move inland until further notice.

The earthquake’s impact was felt strongly across wide regions. In Hachinohe city, Aomori, eyewitnesses told local media that glass shattered and roads were littered with debris. Smartphones alerts warned residents as far as Sapporo in Hokkaido. A journalist based there described horizontal shaking that lasted about 30 seconds. so intense he had to steady himself to avoid falling. Authorities reported several injuries, including at a hotel in Hachinohe and in one town where a car reportedly fell into a hole after the tremor.

Emergency services, including the region’s railway operator, temporarily suspended some train services. Nuclear power facilities in the area were checked — no irregularities have been reported so far.