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Japan: At least 30 injured after strong earthquake and tsunami
A powerful earthquake struck northern Japan during the night from Monday to Tuesday, causing a tsunami with waves reaching 70 cm and leaving at least 30 people injured, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reported on Tuesday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that the magnitude 7.5 earthquake—which initially was estimated at 7.6—occurred offshore near Aomori at 11:15 p.m. local time (14:15 GMT) and may be followed by additional tremors in the coming days.
“Stay informed through JMA and local authorities throughout the week, secure your furniture, and be ready to evacuate if you feel another shake,” Takaichi advised.
One person was seriously injured on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, and authorities recommended evacuating 28,000 residents. In Sapporo, the largest city of Hokkaido, AFP reporters observed intense shaking lasting about 30 seconds, with mobile alarms alerting people across the city.
Footage showed broken glass scattered on streets and items knocked over in stores. By Tuesday morning, residents noticed some damaged roads while snow began covering the region.
“I remembered the 2011 Fukushima disaster when the alert went off, and we rushed outside with our two young children,” said Daiki Shimohata, 33, a municipal worker from Hashikami, Aomori.
Around 2,700 households temporarily lost power in Aomori, with about 30 still affected by late morning. The JMA initially issued a tsunami warning for waves up to 3 meters and advised thousands of people near the epicenter to seek shelter.
Shinkansen bullet trains were temporarily suspended in some areas while tracks were inspected. Power company Tohoku Electric reported no anomalies at nearby nuclear plants, including Higashidori in Aomori and Onagawa in Miyagi.
The region remains sensitive to earthquakes following the 9.0-magnitude quake in March 2011, which caused around 18,500 deaths or disappearances and triggered a tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences one of the world’s highest seismic activities, with around 1,500 earthquakes yearly. In January, government experts raised the likelihood of a major quake along the Nankai Trough to 75–82% over the next 30 years, with potential casualties reaching 298,000 and damages up to $2 trillion.
