Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The seismic event occurred off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, rattling a populace that is still recovering from a significant geological disturbance only days prior.
According to the JMA, the quake struck at a depth that was shallow enough to disturb the sea floor. Consequently, officials issued immediate tsunami advisories for portions of Japan's Pacific coast, specifically targeting Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures.
Local authorities have confirmed that tsunami waves of up to 20cm have already reached the shores of the affected prefectures. While waves of this height are generally not considered catastrophic, the JMA warned that even small tsunamis can generate dangerous currents.
Acting on these advisories, emergency services coordinated the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents from several coastal towns in Aomori. Footage from local broadcaster NHK showed residents moving to designated evacuation centres and ships moving away from harbours to deeper waters as a precaution.
Region on high alert
The timing of the quake has caused significant anxiety across the region. It's just days after a massive 7.5-magnitude tremor hit the same area on Wednesday (10 December), which resulted in injuries to at least 50 people and caused scattered power outages.
Seismologists warn that large earthquakes are often followed by significant aftershocks, which can cause further damage to buildings already weakened by the initial stress.
Living on the ‘Ring of Fire’
Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active nations, sitting on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The country accounts for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
Because of this, Japan maintains strict construction regulations and holds regular emergency drills. While the infrastructure is built to withstand heavy shaking, the spectre of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami remains a potent memory for the nation.
Utility companies are currently inspecting nuclear power plants in the region for any abnormalities, though no immediate irregularities have been reported.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have redirected 82 commercial vessels as part of efforts to enfo...
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 27 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a local official have said. Ze...
Walmart has reached a settlement with the U.S. government over allegations that its pharmacies unlawfully dispensed opioid prescriptions, helping f...
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Iran is setting conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including an end to the war, the lifting of the U.S. blockade and sanctions. At the same time, Washington is stepping up economic pressure on Tehran through what the White House calls “Operation Economic Outcast.”
Mail sorting centres used by Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest private postal company, were destroyed in Russian strikes overnight, the firm said. Elsewhere, four people were injured after drones struck an apartment building in Sevastopol, Crimea, according to the Moscow-installed governor.
The Israeli-U.S. invasion of Iran, which began on 28 February, entered its seventh month on Friday, as Tehran wrapped up a week of high-level visits the region, with officials from Pakistan, Oman and Qatar helping to negotiate a way out of the current stalemate in the conflict.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 27 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a local official have said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
Walmart has reached a settlement with the U.S. government over allegations that its pharmacies unlawfully dispensed opioid prescriptions, helping fuel the country's opioid epidemic.
Greenland’s opposition parties have called for Denmark to be held accountable before the International Court of Justice over a decades-long campaign in which women and girls were fitted with contraceptive devices, often without their consent.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for greater unity across the Islamic world, saying Türkiye is seeking to strengthen alliances and reduce divisions amid growing instability in the region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment