Dozens Injured as Powerful 7.5 Earthquake Strikes Northern Japan

By Blessing Nweke

At least 30 people were injured after a powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck north-eastern Japan late Monday, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes and prompting tsunami warnings along the coast.

The quake hit at 23:15 local time (14:15 GMT) at a depth of 50km (31 miles), with its epicentre about 80km off the Aomori region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Waves of up to 70cm (27 inches) were recorded before authorities lifted all tsunami alerts early Tuesday.

Transport and power systems were severely disrupted. East Japan Railway suspended several train services across the north-eastern coastline, while the Aomori prefectural government reported that around 2,700 homes were without electricity. Officials warned that outages could continue as crews work to assess damage to infrastructure.

Government agencies urged residents to remain on alert, with the JMA cautioning that aftershocks — including a possible stronger tremor — could occur in the coming days. Local media said authorities advised the public to stay vigilant for at least a week.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged people in affected areas to review emergency plans. “Reconfirm your daily earthquake preparedness, such as securing furniture, and prepare to evacuate immediately if you feel shaking,” she said.

Evacuation orders were issued for approximately 90,000 residents, according to Reuters. Emergency teams have been deployed, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said a response office has been established at the prime minister’s crisis management center.

Tohoku Electric Power reported no abnormalities at its Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear plants, and Japanese authorities informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that the disabled Fukushima site also remained stable.

Japan, located on the seismically active Ring of Fire, experiences roughly 1,500 earthquakes each year. The latest quake revived concerns after experts recently warned of a significant chance of a future megaquake along the Nankai Trough.