A powerful earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck northeastern and northern Japan on Monday evening, prompting authorities to issue an urgent tsunami warning and evacuation advisories across several coastal regions, reported Associated Press.

Strong quake rattles northern Japan

The earthquake occurred at approximately 4:53 pm local time off the Sanriku coast, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The quake originated at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometres, intensifying its impact across affected areas. It registered an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 7, indicating strong shaking capable of causing structural damage, reported Associated Press.