TOKYO — A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the Sanriku coast in northern Japan at about 4:53 p.m. local time on Monday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami alert for affected areas.
The agency said the quake occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers beneath the seabed.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that tsunami waves of up to 3 meters could reach coastal areas shortly after the earthquake.
Authorities issued the alert as coastal communities monitored potential wave activity.
The earthquake occurred 15 years after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, a magnitude 9.0 event that struck on March 11, 2011, and caused more than 22,000 deaths and widespread destruction in northern Japan.
The 2011 disaster displaced nearly 500,000 residents, most due to tsunami damage.
The tsunami also triggered the авария at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which led to the evacuation of about 160,000 people from surrounding areas.
Authorities reported that about 26,000 evacuees have not returned due to relocation, restricted zones, or concerns about radiation.
