7.6-magnitude earthquake hits near Japan coast, triggers tsunami warnings

By Erica Yokoyama and Shoko Oda

 

Japan issued a tsunami warning for the country’s northern prefectures of Aomori, Hokkaido and Iwate after a magnitude-7.6 quake struck off the northeast coast.  

 

There have been no reports of significant impact on infrastructure, and no issues identified at nearby nuclear power stations so far.  

 

The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Tohoku Electric Power Co. in the nearby Miyagi prefecture, saw no abnormalities, according to an official from Japan’s atomic regulator. Reactor No. 2 is currently operating. Nor were issues found at the idled Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant, also operated by Tohoku Electric, the official said. 

 

A spokesperson for Japanese oil refiner Eneos Holdings Inc. said the firm evacuated all staff from its its Hachinohe LNG Terminal in Aomori prefecture and will resume investigating the impact once the tsunami warning was lifted.  

 

The tremor, which had a shaking intensity of upper 6 on a scale of 7, hit near Japan’s Aomori prefecture at around 11:15 p.m. local time and struck at a depth of 50 km, according to the country’s weather agency. The tsunami could reach as high as three meters in some areas, according to JMA. 

 

Tsunami waves ranging 30cm to 50cm in height were detected in some areas, according to NHK. The Japanese government urged residents in affected areas to evacuate to take precaution as tsunamis could arrive at a later point. 

 

There were limited power outages in the Hokkaido area, while around 3,800 buildings are without electricity in Tohoku region, according to its grid operators. A 600 megawatt, coal-fired unit at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Tomato-Atsuma Power Station was halted after the quake, according to the Japan Electric Power Exchange website. 

 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters she has set up a government task force in response to the quake. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged residents in tsunami-risk areas to evacuate and to stay alert for the possibility of another upper-6-level quake.