The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted the tsunami warning for coastal areas of Aomori, Hokkaido, and Iwate prefectures in the early hours of Tuesday after a preliminary magnitude 7.5 earthquake shook the northeastern part of the country. The strong quake occurred at 11:15 PM local time on Monday off the Pacific coast of Aomori at a depth of 54 kilometers and registered an intensity of 6 on Japan's seven-level seismic scale in parts of the said prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), as reported by the Argentine News Agency. About three and a half hours after the tremor, the tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory. In Aomori and Hokkaido, more than ten injuries were reported, including at least one serious case in the Hidaka region of Hokkaido, with no fatalities recorded so far. The Aomori Prefectural Government reported that around 2,700 homes experienced power outages, according to Kyodo News. At 6:20 AM on Tuesday, all tsunami advisories for the Pacific coastal areas were lifted. The JMA, which revised the quake's magnitude down from 7.6, had warned of waves up to three meters high following the earthquake. The highest observed tsunami was about 70 centimeters at Kuji Port in Iwate. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Tuesday that 30 people were injured in the powerful earthquake and warned of a similar or even stronger tremor in the Pacific coastal areas. The agency also issued an alert for a possible megathrust earthquake following Monday's quake, indicating a one-in-one-hundred probability of an earthquake of magnitude 8 or higher occurring within seven days. No abnormalities were reported at Hokkaido's nuclear plants or the northern prefectures of Aomori, Miyagi, and Fukushima, according to information. Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended between Fukushima and Shin-Aomori stations, operator JR East reported. A bullet train with 94 passengers was temporarily stopped in Aomori. The Cabinet Office urged the public to maintain special preparedness for at least a week, such as having an emergency supply kit on hand, to be able to evacuate immediately if necessary. The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued an advisory early Tuesday urging Chinese citizens in the country to remain vigilant and closely follow seismic updates, weather warnings, and disaster prevention information.
