• Source:JND
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HighLights
  1. 7.5 magnitude earthquake hits off Japan's northeast coast.
  2. Tsunami warning issued for Iwate, Aomori, Hokkaido prefectures.
  3. Quake measured 'upper 5' on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Japan Earthquake News: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It warned of a tsunami as high as 3 metres in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures. The tremor had an epicentre in the Pacific Ocean and was 10 km deep, according to the JMA.

The operator of Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train says the service has been suspended between Tokyo station and Shin-Aomori station. It had been halted because of the earthquake, NHK reported.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says that it's checking to see if the quake has caused any problems at its Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants.

The Tohoku Electric Power Company is performing similar checks at its Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture and Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture.

Why is Japan prone to earthquakes?

The quake measured an 'upper 5' on Japan's seismic intensity scale — strong enough to make it difficult for people to move around. In many cases, unreinforced concrete-block walls can collapse.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located in the "Ring of Fire" of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or more.

This is a breaking news. More details will be added.


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