Earthquake Of Magnitude 7.6 Jolts Japan, Tsunami Warning Issued

A strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northeastern region late Monday, leading to tsunami warnings and evacuation orders for residents.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), waves up to three metres (10 feet) are possible along the northeast coast after the offshore quake, which occurred at 11:15 p.m. (1415 GMT).

Tsunami warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and a tsunami of 40cm had been observed at Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara and Hokkaido’s Urakawa ports before midnight, JMA said.

The epicentre of the quake was 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 50 km (30 miles), the agency added.

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.

East Japan Railway 9020.T suspended some train services in the area, which was also hit by the massive 9.0-magnitude quake in March 2011.

Located in the “Ring of Fire” arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, the country accounts for about 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.

With inputs from Reuters