Japan Issues Tsunami Alert After Strong 7.6 Quake

A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck northeastern Japan late on Monday, triggering tsunami alerts and prompting authorities to urge residents to evacuate immediately.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said a tsunami of up to 3 metres could hit the northeastern coastline after the offshore quake, which occurred at 11:15pm. Waves measuring around 40 centimetres were recorded at Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori and Urakawa in Hokkaido shortly before midnight.

According to the JMA, the epicentre was located about 80 kilometres off the coast of Aomori Prefecture at a depth of 50 kilometres.

Nuclear power plants in the region began conducting precautionary safety checks, while railway operator East Japan Railway suspended several train services as a safety measure.

Japan experiences frequent seismic activity and sits within the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area known for its earthquakes and volcanic activity. The country accounts for roughly 20 percent of global earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher and was devastated by a 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami in March 2011.