7.4-magnitude quake hits northern Japan; tsunami warning issued
What's the story
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan on Monday, Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers at 4:53pm, according to the JMA. It has issued a tsunami warning for waves up to three meters (10 feet) in Hokkaido, Iwate and Aomori prefectures. Per AFP, the quake was felt even in Tokyo, hundreds of kilometers away.
Report
'Don't turn back'
According to the Japan Times, public broadcaster NHK anchor urged local residents to move to higher ground, calling on people to "remember the 3/11 disaster." On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0-earthquake struck off the Tohoku coast. It was the strongest in Japan's recorded history. "Tsunami! Evacuate!" warning flashed on NHK in English for viewers. "Don't turn back."
PM
Big aftershocks may occur in following days
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government has established an emergency task force. "Possible damage and casualties are now being looked into," Takaichi told reporters. An official from JMA predicted big aftershocks in the coming days and weeks during a separate televised press conference. Kyodo news agency said that bullet train services in Aomori had been halted owing to the tremors.
Event
Over 20,000 died in 2011 quake
The 2011 earthquake devastated parts of northern Japan, killing over 22,000 people and forcing over half a million to evacuate their homes. Around 160,000 people evacuated their houses in Fukushima due to the radiation emitted by the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility. About 26,000 of them have not returned since.