Japan Earthquake Offshore Magnitude 7.6 Triggers Tsunami Warning

An offshore earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 struck near Japan on Monday night. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake raised fears of a tsunami up to three metres high. Concern focused on communities along the country's northeastern Pacific coast.

The agency reported the tremor hit at 11:15 p.m. local time, or 1415 GMT. The epicentre was around 80 km off Aomori prefecture, at a depth of about 50 km. The strong shaking affected wide areas across northern and eastern Japan, including several major cities.

Japan earthquake tsunami warnings and regional alerts

A tsunami warning was issued for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures after the quake. Authorities monitored sea levels and coastal areas through the night. The report credited Kantaro Komiya and Kiyoshi Takenaka, with editing by Kevin Liffey, under the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.