Powerful Quake Hits Northeastern Japan; 30 Injured

Tokyo, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)--A powerful earthquake mainly struck Japan's Tohoku northeastern region, including Aomori Prefecture, on Monday night, measuring up to upper 6, the second-highest level on the country's seismic intensity scale.

The temblor occurred at a depth of 54 kilometers off the east coast of Aomori around 11:15 p.m., with upper 6 registered in the city of Hachinohe in the prefecture and lower 6, the third-highest level, in the Aomori towns of Oirase and Hashikami. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.5 on the Japan Meteorological Agency scale and 7.4 on the more accurate moment magnitude scale.

The JMA issued tsunami warnings to the Pacific coastal area of Aomori and the central part of the Pacific coastal area of the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido as well as Iwate Prefecture, an Aomori neighbor. The warning was downgraded to an advisory at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday.

A tsunami of 70 centimeters was observed in the Iwate city of Kuji, a 50-centimeter-high tsunami in the Hokkaido town of Urakawa and 40-centimeter tsunamis in Hachinohe and the Aomori village of Rokkasho, according to the agency.

Tsunami advisories were also issued to the eastern and western parts of the Pacific coastal area of Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan coastal area of Aomori, and Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in Tohoku. All advisories were fully lifted at 6:20 a.m.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]