Major earthquake warning issued after strong earthquake strikes

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan at 11:15 pm on Monday, injuring more than 20 people. A tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures. According to NHK, waves up to 70 centimeters high were detected at Kuji Port. The tsunami warning for the area was downgraded to advisory level Tuesday morning. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) urged people to be alert for aftershocks and issued a warning of the possibility of a major earthquake.

An earthquake occurred offshore Aomori Prefecture

The epicenter of Monday’s earthquake was about 80 kilometers away from Aomori Prefecture and its depth was about 50 kilometers. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake intensity in Japan was above level six. Shindo The size of Hachinohe City. This is strong enough to make standing difficult and cause structural damage. The Fire and Disaster Management Authority said that as of Tuesday morning, 23 people had been reported injured, one seriously. Many of the injured were staying at a hotel in Hachinohe City.

“In accordance with the Prime Minister’s instructions, we are mobilizing all resources to assess damage, conduct search and rescue operations, and implement emergency relief measures under the life-first policy,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a news conference on Tuesday. He added that about 800 households were without power and some Shinkansen and local line trains had been suspended. Kihara said no abnormalities had been reported at any of the country’s nuclear power plants, although safety inspections were still ongoing.

Authorities issue warning of potential major earthquake

Japan’s Cabinet Office disaster prevention official Tsukasa Morikubo also held a news conference on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of a major earthquake in Japan that could trigger a tsunami along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture. He said: “Based on the statistics of earthquakes that have occurred around the world so far, it is possible that major earthquakes of magnitude 8 or above may occur along the Japan Trench and the Kuril Island Trench in Hokkaido as follow-up earthquakes.”

Morikubo added: “It is still unclear whether a large-scale earthquake will occur. But everyone should heed the call and take precautions to protect their lives.” After Monday’s earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning of a possible major earthquake. This is the first such alert since it was launched in 2022. The advisory noted that the possibility of a major earthquake is “relatively higher than normal.” While the likelihood of this happening remains low, warnings have been issued to increase public vigilance and earthquake preparedness.

Related posts

Updated on December 9, 2025