Arya News - A powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, triggering evacuation orders and a tsunami warning for parts of the coastline.
A powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, triggering evacuation orders and a tsunami warning for parts of the coastline.
Some parts of the country have already experienced tsunami waves, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported in an update early Tuesday local time. A 2.3-foot (0.7-meter) tsunami height has already been observed at Kuji port in Iwate. A 16-inch (40cm) tsunami height was recorded in Aomori and Hokkaido, the JMA said earlier.
The JMA also warned that tsunami height could increase in the coming hours and encouraged people to heed evacuation orders. A tsunami of almost 10 feet (3 meters) could hit some areas of the coast, including Iwate, Aomori and parts of Hokkaido, according to the JMA.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck at 11:15 p.m. local time (9:15 a.m. ET) around 44 miles (70km) off the coast of the country and at a depth of around 33 miles.
There were several reports from Aomori Prefecture of injuries and fires, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a news conference early Tuesday. He said power outages have been reported in Aomori and Iwate and that high-speed train service is suspended between Fukushima and Aomori. Some sections of expressways are also closed, Kihara said.
A CNN team in Japan’s capital Tokyo felt strong tremors during the earthquake, which lasted for longer than 30 seconds.
Earlier, Kihara urged people in affected areas to evacuate to higher ground or move to safe buildings, such as evacuation shelters.
There have been no reports of “abnormalities at this time” at the country’s Higashidōri and Onagawa nuclear power plants, Kihara said. “We have received reports that other nuclear facilities are currently being checked,” he added.
Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who was elected in October, said her government would work closely with local officials to assess the damage and put in place emergency response measures.
The government would be “acting as one under the principle of putting human life first,” she said.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to media about the response to the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that shook Japan"s northeast region on December 8, 2025. - Kyodo/Reuters
Japan is no stranger to severe earthquakes. It lies on the Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The worst quake in recent Japanese history was the 9.1-magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011 that triggered a major tsunami and nuclear disaster.
That quake and tsunami left more than 22,000 people dead or missing and caused reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to melt down, releasing radioactive contamination into the surrounding area.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Brandon Miller and Lauren Kent contributed to this report.
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