a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck northern Japan. Credit line: Hidenori NAGAI / AP / Profimedia
At least 30 people were injured Monday night after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.
The quake struck at 11:15 p.m. (14:15 GMT) at a depth of 50 km, about 80 km off the coast of the Aomori region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It triggered tsunami warnings, which have now been lifted, while waves of 70cm were recorded, according to the BBC.
Some rail services were suspended, and thousands of homes were left without electricity.
Authorities also warned that a stronger earthquake could occur in the coming days – urging the public to remain on high alert for at least a week, according to local media.
Addressing citizens affected by the earthquake, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said: “Reconfirm your daily earthquake preparedness, such as making sure you keep your furniture safe and prepare to evacuate immediately if you feel another earthquake is starting.”
According to the Reuters news agency, evacuation orders have been issued for around 90,000 residents.
The Aomori Prefectural Government said about 2,700 homes were without power. East Japan Railway has also suspended some services along the northeast coast.
The Japanese government has set up an intervention office within the prime minister's crisis management center and has summoned an emergency team, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.
“We are making every effort to assess the damage and implement disaster response measures, including rescue and relief operations,” he added.
Following the quakes, Japanese utility Tohoku Electric Power said no irregularities were reported at its Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants following the quake, Tohoku Electric Power said.
They were not detected at the site of the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power plant either, Japanese authorities told the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Fukushima was damaged by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck the east coast of the country on March 11, 2011.
The earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, triggered a tsunami that swept through the main island of Honshu, killing more than 18,000 people and wiping entire cities off the map.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
It is on the Ring of Fire and therefore has around 1,500 earthquakes per year.
Earlier this year, Japan's earthquake investigation commission said there was a 60-90 percent chance of a megaquake hitting the Nankai Depression in the next 30 years, with worst-case scenarios suggesting it would cause trillions in damage and kill hundreds of thousands of people.
Earthquakes along the Nankai Trough – an area of seismic activity stretching along Japan's Pacific coast – have already been responsible for thousands of deaths.
