A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake off northern Japan injured six people and prompted tsunami warnings, with experts now warning of a heightened risk of a megaquake.
TOKYO: At least six people were injured, two seriously, following a powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Japan on Monday.
The 7.7 magnitude tremor, centred in Pacific waters off Iwate prefecture, shook buildings hundreds of kilometres away in the capital Tokyo.
Japanese authorities issued a tsunami warning for waves of up to three metres, which was later lifted after a series of smaller waves, the largest measuring 80 centimetres, hit ports in the north.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has since warned of an increased likelihood of a new, huge earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 or stronger occurring in the area.
Municipalities in the affected region issued non-compulsory evacuation directives to more than 182,000 residents as a precaution.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported no major structural damage, fire outbreaks, or damage to critical facilities from the quake.
Japan, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, experiences around 1,500 seismic jolts annually and accounts for roughly 18% of the world’s earthquakes.
The nation remains haunted by the memory of the 2011 megaquake and tsunami, which killed or left missing around 18,500 people and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.