Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes off Japan coast, tsunami advisory issued for Iwate

Japan issues tsunami alert after 6.7-magnitude earthquake

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.7 struck off the coast of northern Japan on Sunday evening, prompting a tsunami advisory for Iwate Prefecture, authorities said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that waves of up to one metre (three feet) could hit the coast and urged residents to stay away from coastal areas as a precaution, noting that the tsunami could arrive “at any moment.” The quake occurred around 5:03 pm local time in the waters off Iwate.

India’s National Center for Seismology (NCS) recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.6, at a depth of 30 kilometres, with the epicentre located at 39.51° N latitude and 143.38° E longitude in the North Pacific Ocean.

Japan’s national broadcaster NHK reported that small offshore tsunami waves had already been observed, though live footage showed relatively calm seas. Authorities continue to monitor the region for further seismic activity, and no major damage or casualties have been reported so far.

The area remains highly sensitive to offshore quakes due to the 2011 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which caused approximately 18,500 deaths or missing persons and led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan’s worst crisis since World War II.