Magnitude 7.5 quake strikes off Japan’s northern coast, injuring at least 23 people; triggers 2-foot tsunami

TOKYO — A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan late Monday evening, injuring at least 23 people and triggering a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities, officials said. Authorities warned of the possibility of aftershocks and an increased risk of a strong earthquake.

The Japanese government is still assessing damage from the tsunami and the late-evening earthquake at around 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture on Japan’s main island of Honshu.

“I have never experienced such strong vibrations before,” Nobuo Yamada, a small shop owner, told public broadcaster NHK in the town of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, adding that power lines were still working “fortunately” in his area.

Tsunami waves up to 70 centimeters (2 feet, 4 inches) high were measured at Koji Port in Iwate Prefecture, just south of Aomori, and tsunami levels of up to 50 centimeters hit other coastal communities in the area, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 23 people were injured, one of them in serious condition. Most of them were injured by falling objects, NHK reported, adding that several people were injured at a hotel in Hachinohe and a man in Tohoku was slightly injured when his car fell into a ditch.

The Meteorological Agency reported that the magnitude of the earthquake reached 7.5 degrees, down from its previous estimate of 7.6 degrees. It issued a warning of the possibility of tsunami waves reaching a height of 3 meters (10 feet) in some areas and later downgraded its classification to a warning.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged residents to go to higher ground or seek shelter until the warnings are lifted. He added that about 800 homes were without electricity, and that Shinkansen express trains and some local lines stopped working in parts of the region.

Kihara said nuclear power plants in the area are conducting safety checks. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said about 450 liters (118 gallons) of water spilled from the spent fuel cooling area at the Rokashō fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, but the water level remained within normal range and there were no safety concerns.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said about 480 residents took shelter at Hachinohe Air Base, and 18 defense helicopters were mobilized to assess the damage.

NHK reported that about 200 passengers were stranded overnight at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido.

The Meteorological Authority warned of the possibility of aftershocks in the coming days. It said there was a slight increase in the risk of a magnitude 8 earthquake and possible tsunami along Japan’s northeastern coast from Chiba, east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido. The agency urged residents in the region’s 182 municipalities to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week.

Satoshi Kato, vice principal of a public high school in Hachinohe, told NHK that he was at home when the quake struck, and cups and bowls fell and shattered on the floor.

Kato said he drove to the school because it had been designated as an evacuation center, and on the way he encountered traffic jams and car accidents as terrified people tried to flee. He added that no one had yet come to the school to take shelter.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi said in brief statements to reporters that the government had formed an emergency task force to urgently assess the extent of the damage. “We put people’s lives first and do everything we can,” she said.

Later, she urged residents in the area to pay attention to the latest information received from local municipalities. “Please prepare so that you can evacuate immediately as soon as you feel the tremor.”

The meteorological agency said the quake occurred about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Hashinohe, and at a depth of about 50 kilometers (30 miles) below sea level.

It was just north of the Japanese coast that was hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

“You have to be prepared, assuming that a disaster like this could happen again,” said Satoshi Harada, head of the meteorological agency’s earthquake and volcanology division.

NHK said that at 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday, authorities lifted all tsunami warnings for the Pacific coast in northern Japan.

The US Geological Survey reported another magnitude 5.1 earthquake, early Tuesday, about 122 kilometers (76 miles) south of Honshu, at a depth of 35 kilometers. No other details were immediately available.