Tokyo [Japan], December 12 (ANI): An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 struck Japan’s northeastern region on Friday, prompting a tsunami advisory from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), local media reported.
The quake occurred off the coast of Aomori Prefecture at 11:44 a.m. local time (02:44 GMT) at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles), according to the JMA.
The Japanese weather agency issued a tsunami advisory for northern and northeastern Japan, warning that the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, as well as Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, could see tsunami waves of up to 1 meter. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also confirmed the quake measured 6.7.
Officials urged residents living near the coast and along rivers connected to the sea to evacuate to inland areas.
The earthquake comes four days after Monday’s powerful magnitude 7.5 temblor off the eastern coast of Aomori. Authorities have warned of the possibility of another quake of similar or greater magnitude striking the same area in the coming days.
According to Japanese national broadcaster NHK, Friday’s shaking was less intense than the earlier 7.5 quake, which damaged roads, shattered windows and triggered tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters (2.3 feet).
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said there were no immediate signs of abnormalities at nuclear facilities in the region. Tohoku Electric Power Company confirmed no issues at the Higashidori plant in Aomori Prefecture or the Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture. Tokyo Electric Power Company reported no abnormalities at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear plants, adding that radiation monitoring posts showed no unusual readings.
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