Worldabout 6 hours ago· 1 min read
Powerful 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Japan, Tsunami Alert Issued
A major earthquake hit off Japan's northern coast Monday evening, triggering tsunami warnings for northern prefectures including Iwate, Aomori, and Hokkaido. Over 170,000 people were ordered to evacuate to higher ground as waves up to 10 feet were predicted.
Major Earthquake Hits Northern Japan
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Japan's northern coast on Monday at 4:53 PM local time, prompting immediate tsunami warnings across multiple prefectures.
Key Details:
- Earthquake occurred 6 miles below sea surface off Sanriku coast
- Tsunami warnings issued for Iwate, Aomori prefectures and Hokkaido
- 171,957 people ordered to evacuate in five prefectures
- Waves of 2.6 feet observed at Kuji Port, 1.3 feet at Miyako Port
Transportation and Infrastructure Impact
- Bullet train services suspended between Tokyo and northern Japan
- All local trains in Iwate prefecture halted
- 200 power outages reported across affected areas
- No abnormalities detected at nuclear power plants including Fukushima Daiichi
Context and Preparedness
This earthquake comes just 15 years after the devastating 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that killed over 20,000 people. Japanese authorities have issued a rare "mega-quake" advisory, warning of increased probability of larger earthquakes in the next week.