Strong Quake Strikes Northeastern Japan

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Monday, measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, and triggering tsunami warnings. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tremor occurred at around 4:52 p.m. off the Sanriku Pacific coastal area of northeastern Japan, with upper 5 seismic intensity observed in the town of Hashikami in Aomori Prefecture. The quake had an estimated magnitude of 7.5 and occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers. Tsunami warnings were issued for Iwate Prefecture, the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture and the central area of the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, northernmost Japan. A tsunami of 80 centimeters was observed in the Iwate city of Kuji at around 5:30 p.m. A tsunami of 30 centimeters was observed in the city of Hachinohe in Aomori and a tsunami of 20 centimeters was observed in the town of Urakawa in Hokkaido and also in the city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture. Tsunami advisories were issued for the eastern and western areas of the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan coast of Aomori Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture. Speaking to reporters at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents in areas where tsunami warnings and advisories, covering different expected wave heights, have been issued to evacuate to higher, safer areas. The government has set up a liaison office at the crisis management center of the prime minister’s office. Takaichi said the office will gather information about damage and provide information to the public. According to East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, services have been suspended on both directions of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train line between Tokyo Station and Shin-Aomori Station. A magnitude-7.5 tremor struck off the eastern coast of Aomori on Dec. 8 last year, registering upper 6 seismic intensity in Hachinohe. Tsunamis were observed along the coasts of Hokkaido and northeastern Japanese prefectures, and an advisory on possible subsequent quakes off the coasts of Hokkaido and Sanriku was issued for the first time. An earthquake occurred in the same area four days later, and tsunamis were observed in Hokkaido and Aomori. Authorities are currently investigating whether Monday’s quake meets the criteria for issuing such an advisory for possible aftershocks. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, evacuation orders have been issued to a total of about 172,000 people in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said that no abnormalities from the latest temblor have been detected at Tohoku Electric Power Co.’s Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants in the prefectures of Aomori and Miyagi, respectively, and Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.’s spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]