(SeaPRwire) – A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast on Monday afternoon, leading the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami alert for the region.
The agency reported the tremor, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5, happened off the Sanriku coast in northern Japan at approximately 4:53 p.m. local time, at a depth of roughly 6 miles beneath the ocean surface.
The agency noted a tsunami measuring about 2.6 feet was observed at Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, and a wave of 1.3 feet was registered at another port within the same prefecture.
Authorities in Iwate prefecture issued voluntary evacuation advisories for residents across 11 towns.
The agency warned that a tsunami reaching up to 10 feet could potentially hit the area.
The devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused widespread destruction in Japan, resulting in more than 22,000 deaths and forcing nearly 500,000 people from their homes, primarily due to tsunami damage.
Approximately 160,000 evacuated their homes because of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — of those, about 26,000 have not returned due to resettlement elsewhere, their hometowns remaining restricted, or ongoing worries about radiation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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