TOKYO, December 9. /TASS/. At least 30 people sustained injuries of varying severity following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Japan on Monday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters.
She emphasized that, so far, there have been no reports of deaths or missing persons. "We would like people to continue their normal daily lives, but stand ready for immediate evacuation in case of repeated strong tremors," she said, noting that such vigilance may need to be maintained for the next week.
The earthquake struck east of the Aomori Prefecture, with its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 50 km. Local seismologists initially reported a magnitude of 7.2, later raising it to 7.6, before ultimately confirming it at 7.5.
Following the tremors, a tsunami warning was issued for the east and northeast coasts, with seismologists warning that waves up to three meters high could affect coastal areas of Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido prefectures. The warning has since been lifted for all regions, and the highest wave recorded along the Japanese coast reached 70 cm.