Main earthquake strikes Japan’s north-east coast

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake has hit north-eastern Japan, with stories hundreds have been ordered to evacuate their houses.

The quake occurred at 23:15 (14:15 GMT) at a depth of 50km (31 miles), about 80km off the coast of the Aomori area, the Japan Meteorological Company mentioned.

It prompted tsunami warnings which have now been lifted, whereas waves of 70cm (27in) have been seen.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned not less than seven folks had been injured and warned residents to remain alert for brand spanking new tremors for one more week.

Addressing residents affected by the earthquake, she mentioned: “Reconfirm your every day earthquake preparedness, equivalent to guaranteeing that you just safe furnishings, and put together to evacuate instantly in case you really feel shaking.”

Orders have been issued for about 90,000 residents to evacuate, based on Reuters information company.

The federal government has arrange a response workplace inside the prime minister’s disaster administration centre and convened an emergency workforce, chief cupboard secretary Minoru Kihara has mentioned.

“We’re making each effort to evaluate the injury and implement emergency catastrophe response measures, together with rescue and aid operations,” he added.

Some bullet practice companies have been suspended alongside the north-eastern coast.

No irregularities have been reported on the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear energy vegetation on account of the quake, Tohoku Electrical Energy mentioned.

None have been detected both on the disabled Fukushima nuclear energy station web site, the Japanese authorities informed the Worldwide Atomic Power Company.

Fukushima was broken when a magnitude 9.0 quake struck off the nation’s japanese coast on 11 March 2011.

That quake, essentially the most highly effective ever recorded in Japan, triggered a tsunami which swept over the primary island of Honshu, killing greater than 18,000 folks and wiping total cities off the map.

Japan is without doubt one of the world’s most earthquake-prone international locations, with a tremor occurring not less than each 5 minutes.