Tokyo: A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sanriku in northeastern Japan late Monday local time. A tsunami warning was issued, with a high threshold of over 3 meters potentially hitting the coast.

According to Thai News Agency, the earthquake occurred at approximately 4:53 PM local time, or 2:53 PM Thailand time. The epicenter was located in the Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers northeast of Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, at a depth of 10 kilometers. It measured 7.5 on the Richter scale, or a maximum of 5+ on the Japanese scale in Aomori Prefecture, and 5- in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures. The tremors were felt as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometers away.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning of up to 3 meters for coastal areas in Aomori, Iwate, and Hokkaido prefectures. Authorities in these three prefectures ordered the immediate evacuation of more than 100,000 people from high-risk coastal areas. Initial reports indicated that tsunami waves, reaching 30-70 centimeters in height, were detected in some areas, including Hachinohe, Kuji, and Miyako cities in Iwate Prefecture. At least 35 people were initially reported injured, mostly from falling debris or accidents during evacuation. Damage to roads and concrete walls was also reported in some areas. However, there were no reports of malfunctions at nuclear power plants in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. The Tohoku High-Speed Rail line temporarily suspended service between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations for safety checks.

Authorities are currently monitoring the situation and warning people to avoid approaching the coast, as multiple tsunami waves and aftershocks are possible.