Japanese authorities have lifted all tsunami warnings and advisories hours after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast late Monday night (11:15 p.m. local time). The quake caused injuries and evacuations but no reports of major structural damage.
The earthquake measured 7.5 on the Richter scale and originated 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 54 km. The tremor registered as an "upper 6" on Japan's 1-7 seismic intensity scale in Hachinohe city, Aomori prefecture, a level strong enough to make it impossible to stand without crawling.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially issued warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, predicting a tsunami as high as 3 metres (10 feet). Observed tsunamis reached between 20 cm and 70 cm (7 to 27 inches) at several ports. All warnings and advisories were later lifted by Tuesday morning.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reported 30 people injured and one fire. Approximately 90,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes. East Japan Railway suspended some services in the affected region, which led to delays in northern Japan. Power outages affected thousands of households immediately after the quake, but service was restored by Tuesday morning.
Utility companies Tohoku Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power reported no irregularities at nuclear power plants in the region.The JMA has issued an advisory for a wide area, from Hokkaido down to Chiba prefecture, cautioning residents to be alert for the possibility of another powerful earthquake within the next week, citing the precedent of the 2011 disaster.
The Japanese yen weakened against major currencies, with the dollar and euro temporarily touching session highs following news of the tremor.
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