A tsunami warning has been issued for parts of Japan’s northeastern coast after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck off the coastline Monday, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck at 11.15 p.m. local time (9.15 a.m. ET) around 44 miles (70km) off the coast of the country and at a depth of around 33 miles.
The tsunami could reach a height of almost 10 feet (3 meters) in some areas of the coastline, including Iwate, Aomori and parts of Hokkaido, JMA said. A 16-inch (40cm) tsunami height has already been observed in Aomori, the agency said.
A CNN team in Japan’s capital Tokyo felt strong tremors during the earthquake, which lasted for longer than 30 seconds.
Japan is no stranger to severe earthquakes. It lies on the Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The worst quake in recent Japanese history was the 9.1-magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011 that triggered a major tsunami and nuclear disaster.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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