Earthquake of 7.5 Magnitude in Japan: Tsunami Warning Issued; PM Forms Emergency Task Force; People in Panic

Tokyo (The Uttam Hindu): A powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude struck Japan, leaving around 30 people injured, according to local media reports on Tuesday. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the quake hit at 11:15 pm on Monday, off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture, with its epicenter located 54 km below the surface. Following the incident, the Prime Minister formed an emergency task force to monitor the situation.

According to Kyodo News, the agency has warned that more strong quakes of similar or higher intensity may hit the same region in the coming days. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has urged residents in affected areas to remain alert for the next one to two weeks, keep track of updates issued by local authorities and JMA, and stay prepared. People have also been advised to store essential household supplies.

Officials said the quake occurred near a trench along the coasts of Hokkaido and northeastern Japan, a zone where massive earthquakes can be triggered due to the Pacific Plate slipping beneath Japan’s Honshu Island. JMA later revised the magnitude from the earlier estimate of 7.6 and issued a warning for possible tsunami waves up to 3 meters high. In Iwate Prefecture, the highest recorded wave reached 70 centimeters.

The tsunami warning, issued shortly after the quake, remained in place for around three and a half hours and was lifted at 6:20 am on Tuesday. Parts of Aomori recorded shaking levels of over 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 7.

Following the tremors, the agency issued a special alert for the possibility of another major quake near the trench, known as the “Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory,” activated after any quake above magnitude 7.0. According to JMA, the likelihood of a massive earthquake of magnitude 8 or above in the next seven days is extremely low.