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 operator of its busiest airport, New Chitose Airport near Sapporo, says that as of 11:40 p.m. on Monday, it was checking whether there are any abnormalities on two runways.
Highways have been affected. East Nippon Expressway Company says that as of 11:45 p.m. on Monday, traffic was completely stopped between the Shiraoi and Shinchitose Airport Interchanges and between the Tomakomai Higashi and Numanohata Nishi Interchanges.
Government bracing for damages
The Japanese government set up a task force at the crisis management center in the prime minister's office at 11:16 p.m. on Monday in response to the earthquake.
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae entered the prime minister's office shortly after 11:50 p.m.
She instructed the government to immediately provide information on any tsunami and evacuation orders to the people in an appropriate manner, take thorough measures to prevent harm, such as evacuating residents, and get a grasp of the extent of damage as soon as possible.
Takaichi: The central government will work closely with local governments and make the utmost effort to carry out measures, such as emergency response, including rescue for the affected people.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru held a news conference on Tuesday. Kihara said the government continues to assess the extent of the damage.
He added that the government is devoting all its efforts to disaster prevention measures, with rescue and relief efforts as its top priority, led by the police, fire departments, Self-Defense Forces, and Japan Coast Guard.
The Japan Meteorological Agency will soon hold a news conference on the earthquake. It is expected to explain what precautions should be taken in quake-hit areas.
Expert view on the quake
Sakai Shinichi, professor at the Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo, says: If this was a shallow earthquake centered in the sea, there is a high possibility that a tsunami has already occurred. People should stay away from the coast. It is important to evacuate and to take measures to stay warm.
Sakai says: The epicenter may be north of the epicenter area of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. This time, the earthquake is believed to have occurred at the plate boundary, so I think it was a slightly larger earthquake. The magnitude could be revised in the future.