Aomori: A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Aomori in northeastern Japan on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuation orders.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in a statement that the earthquake’s epicenter was at a depth of 50 kilometers. The JMA explained that a tsunami with waves up to three meters high could strike the northeastern coast of Japan following the earthquake.
It added that tsunami warnings were issued for the Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate regions, noting that tsunami waves between 20 and 50 centimeters high had been observed in several ports. East Japan Railways suspended some train services in the region struck by a massive magnitude 9 earthquake in March 2011.
The two utility companies, Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power, reported no unusual incidents at their nuclear power plants in the region, though Tohoku reported power outages affecting thousands of homes. Japan lies at the intersection of four tectonic plates, making it particularly prone to seismic activity, and is also home to more than 100 active volcanoes.