Tokyo, Dec 9: A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan late Monday, injuring 23 people and triggering a tsunami along the Pacific coast, authorities said.
The quake hit around 11:15 p.m., about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu, at a depth of roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles). “I’ve never experienced such a big shaking,” convenience store owner Nobuo Yamada told NHK in Hachinohe, Aomori. “Luckily, power lines are still working.”
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters (2 feet, 4 inches) at Kuji port in Iwate prefecture and up to 50 centimeters along other nearby coasts. Authorities initially warned of surges up to 3 meters (10 feet) in some areas but later downgraded the alert to an advisory.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 23 people were injured, including one seriously, mainly from falling objects. NHK reported several injuries in a Hachinohe hotel, and a man in Tohoku was slightly hurt when his car fell into a hole.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged residents to seek higher ground or shelter until advisories were lifted. About 800 homes lost electricity, and some Shinkansen bullet trains and local rail lines were suspended.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had formed an emergency task force. “We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she told reporters.
