Powerful Quake Hits Northeastern Japan

Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake struck Japan’s Tohoku northeastern region, mainly Aomori Prefecture, on Monday night, measuring up to upper 6, the second highest level on the country’s seismic intensity scale. The temblor, with an estimated magnitude of 7.6, occurred at a depth of about 50 kilometers off the east coast of Aomori around 11:15 p.m., with upper 6 registered in the city of Hachinohe in the prefecture and lower 6, the third highest level, in the Aomori towns of Oirase and Hashikami. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings to the Pacific coastal areas of Aomori, the central part of the Pacific coastal areas of the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and Iwate Prefecture, an Aomori neighbor. Tsunamis of 40 centimeters were observed at Mutsuogawara Port in Aomori and the Hokkaido town of Urakawa, according to the agency. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed her government staff to grasp the extent of damage, provide information to the public and rescue affected people. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]