SRINAGAR: A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday evening, prompting immediate tsunami warnings and transport disruptions, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
JMA warned that tsunami waves of up to three metres could hit coastal areas of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate. A 40-centimetre wave was later recorded following the quake, AFP reported. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said hazardous waves were possible within 1,000 kilometres of the epicentre, potentially affecting parts of Japan and Russia.
USGS recorded the earthquake at 14:15 UTC at a depth of 53.1 km, with the epicentre located 73 km east-northeast of Misawa in northern Japan. The tremor reportedly struck off the coasts of Aomori and Hokkaido, shaking large parts of northern and eastern Japan.
East Japan Railway suspended some train services as a precaution, Reuters reported. Japan lies within the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire”, accounting for roughly 20 percent of global earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.
The country regularly experiences significant seismic activity. In July, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck near the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima, though no tsunami warning was issued. The same month, Russia’s Kamchatka region was hit by an 8.8-magnitude quake, generating tsunami waves across neighbouring areas in what became the world’s strongest earthquake in 14 years.
Japan remains acutely sensitive to major seismic events following the devastating 9.1-magnitude megathrust earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
