JAKARTA - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 shook the northeastern and northern regions of Japan on Monday afternoon. A tsunami warning was immediately issued, while more than 156 thousand residents in five prefectures were ordered to evacuate.
Citing Kyodo News, Monday, April 20, the Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred at 16.53 local time at a depth of 10 kilometers. The shock was recorded at 5 on the Japanese earthquake intensity scale of 7. The tremors were also felt in some parts of Tokyo.
Tsunami warnings were issued for the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate. Wave heights are expected to reach 3 meters. In Kuji Port, Iwate Prefecture, a tsunami of 80 centimeters has been observed.
The Japanese meteorological agency also warned that earthquakes of a similar magnitude could still occur in the next week. Some of them, according to the agency, could even be bigger.
A man in his 60s in Hachinohe, Aomori, was rushed to hospital after falling down the stairs at his home. The local fire department said the victim was conscious.
Nuclear facilities operators reported no abnormal conditions at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants in Aomori and Miyagi prefectures, nor at the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture. The temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in Mutsu, Aomori, was also reported to be unaffected.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi asked residents in the affected areas to immediately evacuate to higher ground. As of 6:00 p.m., the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency recorded 156,471 people in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima had been ordered to evacuate.
The impact of the earthquake also disrupted transportation. JR East suspended the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train service between Tokyo Station and Shin-Aomori.
The magnitude of the earthquake was originally estimated at 7.4, but was later revised to 7.5.
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