Tokyo: A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan today, prompting authorities to warn of possible tsunami waves reaching up to three metres and to urge residents to evacuate coastal areas.
According to Oman News Agency, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the quake's epicentre was in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of ten kilometres. Large waves are expected to hit the regions of Iwate, Aomori, and Hokkaido.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the formation of an emergency response team and called on residents in affected areas to move to higher ground.
Footage broadcast by public broadcaster NHK showed vessels sailing away from ports in Hokkaido amid repeated tsunami warnings, while superfast train services in Aomori were suspended following the earthquake and aftershocks.
Japan lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences about 20 percent of the world's strong earthquakes. Authorities have begun assessing the impact on critical infrastructure, including decommissioned nuclear power stations in the region.