Strong earthquake hits northern Japan, tsunami warning issued

Summary

A strong earthquake has struck northern Japan. The quake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture at 11:15 p.m. on Monday. Its focus was 50 kilometers deep, and the magnitude is estimated at 7.6. Strong tremors were felt across the region. Tremors with an intensity of upper 6 on the Japanese intensity scale of 0 to 7 were observed in the city of Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture. A hotel employee in Hachinohe City said: It seems there are multiple injured people. Everyone appears to be conscious. If you are in these areas, try to remain in a safe place and protect yourself. Use extreme caution if you must move. Damage around you could be heavy. Stay alert. More tremors are possible Tsunami warning and advisory issued Authorities have issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coastline in northern Japan, including Iwate Prefecture, and parts of Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures. Authorities warn that waves as high as three meters could hit the prefectures. A tsunami advisory is in place for other parts of the region, including Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. They are calling on people to stay away from the coastline, as well as the mouths of rivers. Residents ordered to evacuate After tsunami warnings were issued, some municipalities in Hokkaido, and the Tohoku region issued evacuation orders to residents. Traffic disrupted East Japan Railway Company says that as of Tuesday, outbound trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen have been suspended between Fukushima and Shin-Aomori stations due to the earthquake. The company says three trains stopped in this section. The company says that it is checking for any damage to railway tracks and that it remains unclear when services will resume. The Morioka branch of East Japan Railway says that as of midnight on Tuesday, services on the Tohoku Main Line were suspended in Iwate Prefecture. It says two trains made emergency stops. It remains unclear when services will resume. There are no reports of injuries. As for Hokkaido, the op...