A Powerful Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Off Northern Japan

TOKYO — A powerful earthquake struck disconnected nan bluish seashore of Japan during unreserved hr connected Thursday morning, but nan country’s meteorological agency said location was nary threat of a tsunami and nary superior injuries were reported.

The temblor shook dozens of towns crossed northeastern Japan and was moreover mildly felt successful nan capital, Tokyo. It deed successful an area wherever beardown earthquakes person many times been reported successful caller months, including 1 that triggered a weeklong mega-quake be aware advisory successful December.

In nan municipality of Hashikami, a schoolhouse main recounted really her car shook sideways erstwhile nan quake struck arsenic she was driving to work. Children already gathered astatine nan schoolhouse were safe, she said, though immoderate were crying successful fear.

The quake — disconnected nan eastbound seashore of nan Iwate prefecture — had a 7.2 magnitude, upgraded from an first reference of 6.9, nan Japan Meteorological Agency said. Its extent was astir 30 miles, nan agency said. The U.S. Geological Survey besides reported nan quake, giving its magnitude arsenic 6.9.

Eight group were injured successful bluish prefectures of Aomori and Iwate, nan Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Japanese media had nary study of life-threatening injuries and nan injuries that were reported were chiefly from falling aliases being deed by falling objects.

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that her government’s emergency squad is “putting people’s lives first,” while assessing accusation and preparing for alleviation operations, if needed. She urged residents successful nan affected regions to usage be aware against imaginable aftershocks.

Tomoko Nagane, nan superior schoolhouse main successful Hashikami, successful Aomori prefecture, told NHK that classes were canceled for nan time and that each children returned location safely.

Footage connected Japan’s NHK nationalist tv showed respective towns, including Sendai and Morioka, nan broadcaster’s reporters saying they felt nan shaking for a mates of minutes but person not seen immoderate damage. Videos showed group commuting arsenic usual.

The East Japan Railway Co., which operates trains successful northeastern regions, said immoderate slug trains and section lines were temporarily suspended for information checks.

Nuclear powerfulness plants and facilities, including nan Fukushima Daiichi works which was damaged by nan 2011 monolithic quake and tsunami, and a spent substance reprocessing works successful Aomori, person not reported immoderate abnormalities from Thursday’s earthquake, authorities spokesperson Minoru Kihara said.

Japan, which sits connected what is known arsenic nan Pacific Ring of Fire, is 1 of nan world’s astir earthquake-prone areas.

Yamaguchi writes for nan Associated Press.