Tsunami warnings lifted after 7.7-magnitude quake hits northeastern Japan

The powerful temblor occurred at 4:53 p.m. local time off the Sanriku coast at a depth of 20 km, measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic scale of 7 in the hardest-hit areas in Aomori Prefecture, JMA said. Following the quake, tsunami waves were observed off the Pacific coasts of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, with Kuji Port in Iwate recording an 80cm wave, while Miyako Port, also in the prefecture, measured a 40cm wave. Several injuries have been reported, including a man in his 60s in Aomori Prefecture who was taken to the hospital after falling down the stairs at his home, and a man in his 80s in Iwate Prefecture who fell in a supermarket parking lot. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, evacuation orders had been issued for more than 170,000 people in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. No abnormalities have been reported at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear plants in Aomori and Miyagi prefectures, respectively, or at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, according to their operators. The quake's epicenter was located at a latitude of 39.8 degrees north and a longitude of 143.2 degrees east.