Japan issued a tsunami warning on Monday after a strong offshore earthquake struck the country’s northeast, prompting authorities to urge residents in coastal regions to move to higher ground.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the quake — initially estimated at magnitude 7.2 — jolted a wide area across northern and eastern Japan at 11:15 p.m. local time (1415 GMT).
Reuters reported that the agency later said tsunami waves as high as three metres (10 feet) could hit parts of the northeastern coastline.
Tsunami alerts were issued for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures, regions with several coastal towns vulnerable to strong waves.
The JMA said the epicentre was located about 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, at a depth of 50 km (30 miles).
Local authorities have urged residents to evacuate immediately and move to safer, elevated areas as a precaution. Emergency teams are monitoring the situation, and no immediate reports of major damage or injuries have been released so far.
With inputs from Reuters.
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