33 People Injured As A Result Of The 7.5 Magnitude Japanese Earthquake

Location of Japanese earthquake / USGS DOK

JAKARTA Japan is recording damage while warning the public about potential aftershocks after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on Monday night.

It was reported that 33 people were injured, one of whom was seriously injured, said the Disaster Management and Fire Agency. Most of them were hit by falling objects, reported public broadcaster NHK.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force had been formed to immediately record the damage.

"We prioritize people's lives and do everything we can," he said as quoted by the Associated Press, Tuesday, December 9.

In a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Takaichi promised the government would continue its maximum efforts and remind the public to protect their own lives.

An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale occurred at around 23.15 p.m. local time in the Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu.

The US Geological Survey noted the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6 SR and said the earthquake occurred 44 kilometers (27 miles) below the surface.

A 70 centimeter high tsunami was recorded at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, just south of Aomori, and waves as high as 50 centimeters hit other communities in the region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The NHK reported that the wave damaged several tiramic rafts.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minuru Kihara said about 800 houses without electricity and Shinkansen high-speed trains as well as several local routes were temporarily suspended in several areas on Tuesday morning.

East Japan Railway said it plans to resume bullet train services in the region on Tuesday night.

Electricity was largely restored on Tuesday morning, according to Tohoku's Electric Company.

About 480 residents took refuge in Hachinohe Air Base and 18 defense helicopters were deployed to carry out damage assessments, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.