Earthquake in Japan: Quake of Magnitude 7.2 Hits Northeastern Japanese Coast, Tsunami Advisory Issued

Tokyo, March 20: A powerful earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, struck off the coast of northeastern Japan on Saturday evening. After the strong earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory. Those near coastal areas have been advised to move to higher locations, The Japan Times reported. Japan Marks 10th Disaster Anniversary but Still Recovering.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake hit at 6:09 pm local time in Pacific waters off Miyagi region with a depth of 60 kilometres (37 miles). Subsequently, an advisory for tsunami waves of around one metre was issued. There was no immediate reports of causality or damage from Miyagi. The US Geological Service put the strength of the quake at 7.0-magnitude.

Last month, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale jolted Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. According to the United States Geological Survey, the previous quake struck at the depth of 54 km at 7:37 pm. The epicentre of the quake was located 90 km east northeast (ENE) of Namie town of Japan. Dozens were injured.

Japan often suffers earthquakes, as it is located within the Ring of Fire - a notorious area in the Pacific Ocean with extremely high seismic activity. This year, Japan marked 10 years since the catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake of March 11, 2011, that triggered a killer tsunami and the Fukushima meltdown.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 20, 2021 03:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).