Japan issues warning after 7.7-magnitude quake hits north

TOKYO: Japan issued a special advisory on Monday warning of an increased risk of earthquakes at magnitude 8.0 or stronger, after a powerful jolt rattled the country’s north and prompted a tsunami warning. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s advisory came a few hours after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in Pacific waters off northern Iwate prefecture at 4:53 pm (0753 GMT). The jolt was so intense that it shook large buildings in the capital Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the epicentre. The meteorological agency said that “the likelihood of a new, huge earthquake occurring is relatively higher than during normal times”. Municipalities in the affected region issued non-compulsory evacuation directives to more than 182,000 residents, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Around 40 minutes after the quake, an 80-centimetre (31-inch) tsunami wave hit a port in Kuji in Iwate, according to the weather agency, which which had initially estimated the magnitude at 7.4 before revising it upwards. The agency said the later advisory about another possible earthquake only reflected an elevated risk, rather than providing any specific predictions.

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