30 injured as 7.5-m earthquake hits Japan; authorities warn of bigger tremor

Tokyo, Dec 9 At least 30 people were injured after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, triggering tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 70 centimetres along the Pacific coast, local media reported on Tuesday, quoting the government.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake struck at 11:15 p.m. local time on Monday off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture at a depth of 54 kilometres.

The agency warned that the tremor could be followed by another earthquake of similar or even higher magnitude in the same region in the coming days, Kyodo News reported.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents in the affected regions to remain alert for updates from local authorities and the weather agency over the next week or so, and to make preparations for a possible subsequent quake, including by securing furniture and household items.

The quake occurred along a trench running off the coasts of Hokkaido and northeastern Japan, a zone where major earthquakes can be triggered as the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the Honshu main island, according to the agency.

The meteorological agency later revised the quake's magnitude from an earlier estimate of 7.6 and issued a warning of tsunami waves of up to 3 metres following the tremor.

The highest observed tsunami waves reached 70 centimetres in Iwate Prefecture.

About three and a half hours after the quake, the tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory, which was subsequently lifted at 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday.

The quake recorded an upper 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Aomori, a level at which it becomes impossible to remain standing or to move without crawling.

Following the tremor, the weather agency issued a special alert for a massive quake along the trench, known as the 'Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory', which is activated after an earthquake with a confirmed magnitude of 7.0 or greater.

The agency has assessed that there is a one-in-100 chance of an earthquake of magnitude 8 or higher occurring within the next seven days. However, even when such an advisory is in place, authorities do not call on the public to evacuate in advance.

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