Japan has lifted all tsunami warnings and advisories issued after Monday’s powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake, with the highest waves recorded at about 80cm in Iwate prefecture. Authorities warned that the risk of another, even more powerful earthquake would remain for up to a week, with the likelihood of a magnitude 8.0 or higher megaquake “higher than during normal times”.
The tremor struck at 4.53pm local time off the northeastern coast, with an epicentre in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of approximately 20km. It prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami warnings – the second-highest alert level – along swathes of the coast, meaning waves of between one and three metres were originally expected. Warnings were later downgraded to advisories before being lifted by midnight.
No deaths or major damage were reported, though 100 homes were left without power. More than 170,000 people were advised to evacuate across several prefectures; those orders have now been lifted. Local media reported minor injuries among evacuees, including an elderly woman in Hokkaido who fractured her arm and a man in Iwate who broke his leg.
The government has urged people to have a go-bag ready and check preparations, as the Japan Meteorological Agency said the probability of a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake was 10 times higher than usual – rising from 0.1 per cent to 1 per cent. “Please take anti-disaster steps, while embracing the idea that one must protect one’s own life,” a government official said.
Japan sits on the Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active areas, and experiences about 20 per cent of global earthquakes of magnitude six or higher. The incident stirred memories of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which killed 18,000 people and caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said no abnormalities were observed at nuclear facilities following Monday’s quake.
