Japan Rocked By Earthquake – Coastal Areas Under Tsunami Alert

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck disconnected nan Sanriku seashore successful nan Pacific Ocean connected Sunday (Japanese time) evening, prompting nan Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to rumor a tsunami advisory for Iwate Prefecture connected Honshu’s northeast coast. 

The quake, which occurred astatine astir 5.03pm section clip (JST) astatine a shallow extent of astir 10 km, registered an strength of 4 connected Japan’s shindo seismic standard successful areas including Morioka and Yahaba successful Iwate, arsenic good arsenic Wakuya successful neighbouring Miyagi Prefecture.

Locals evacuated from coastal areas

The JMA warned of imaginable tsunami waves up to 1 metre precocious on Iwate’s coastline, urging residents to instantly evacuate coastal areas, enactment distant from beaches, waterways, and nan ocean, and move to higher ground. Small tsunami surge waves were soon observed, including 20 cm astatine Kuji Port and Ofunato Port successful Iwate, arsenic good arsenic offshore detections 70 km from nan coast. Public broadcaster NHK reported nary abnormalities astatine adjacent atomic facilities, specified arsenic nan Onagawa works operated by Tohoku Electric Power Co.

No awesome harm aliases injuries person been reported truthful far, though Tohoku Shinkansen slug train services were temporarily suspended betwixt Sendai and Shin-Aomori owed to a little powerfulness outage. The arena follows a bid of smaller foreshocks successful nan region earlier successful nan day.

The seismically progressive area, portion of nan Pacific Ring of Fire, remains delicate pursuing nan devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Authorities proceed to show nan business closely, pinch nan advisory still successful effect arsenic of precocious Sunday evening.

Since nan 2011 Tōhoku disaster, Japan has faced 2 notable tsunamis. On November 22, 2016, a magnitude 7.4 quake disconnected Fukushima triggered waves up to 1.4 m astatine Sendai, nan first awesome informing since 2011, pinch nary deaths but insignificant injuries. The astir destructive came connected January 1, 2024, erstwhile nan magnitude 7.5 Noto Peninsula quake generated run-up heights complete 11 m, inundating 370 hectares and causing 2 drowning deaths amid 240+ full fatalities. No different post-2011 tsunami has exceeded 5 m aliases caused wide nonaccomplishment of life, acknowledgment to upgraded seawalls, accelerated warnings, and nationalist drills.