TOKYO: A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Friday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami warning.
The quake hit near Aomori Prefecture at 11:44 a.m. local time (02:44 GMT) at a depth of 20 km, the agency said. The U.S. Geological Survey also measured the quake at 6.7.
The tremor came only days after a strong quake shook the same region. NHK reported that Friday’s shaking was weaker than the magnitude 7.5 quake earlier this week, which damaged roads, shattered windows, and sent tsunami waves up to 70 centimeters high.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said it detected no abnormalities at nearby nuclear plants.
The region remains on alert after Monday’s quake, which injured at least 50 people. The weather agency has warned residents from Hokkaido to Chiba to brace for more seismic activity.
Residents are preparing for possible aftershocks. In Hakodate, sales of bottled water and emergency kits have tripled. “We decided to prepare, so I bought disaster kits for everyone,” one resident told NHK.
Northeastern Japan still bears the trauma of the 2011 magnitude 9.0 undersea quake and tsunami that killed about 18,500 people.
The government also warns of future megaquakes along the Nankai Trough, which could kill up to 298,000 people and cause as much as $2 trillion in damage. Japan sits on four tectonic plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.
Friday’s earthquake was the third major tremor to hit northern Japan this week, underscoring a sharp spike in seismic activity across the region.
A massive magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck northeastern Japan earlier in the week, triggering a tsunami warning and forcing thousands to evacuate coastal areas. The Japan Meteorological Agency said waves could reach up to 10 feet, raising fears of coastal flooding.
A day earlier, on December 8, a powerful magnitude 7.2 offshore quake jolted northern Japan. The epicenter was off Aomori Prefecture at a depth of 50 km. The tremor registered an upper 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, causing strong shaking across several prefectures.
