A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit north-eastern Japan last night. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake occurred about 80km off the coast of the Aomori region. More than 20 people were injured. The quake has triggered a tsunami of up to 70 cm in Pacific coastal communities.
Authorities issued orders for the evacuation of about 90 thousand residents. Some bullet train services have been suspended along the north-eastern coast. Nuclear plants carried out urgent checks. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said about 118 gallons of water spilled at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, but that there was no safety concern.