Japan assesses the damage caused by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake that injured 34 people

TOKYO (AP) — Japan assessed damage Tuesday and warned people of possible aftershocks after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake late at night caused injuries, minor damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least 34 people were injured, one of them seriously. Most of them were hit by falling objects, NHK reported.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi told reporters that an emergency task force had been formed to urgently assess the damage. “We put people's lives first and do everything we can,” she said.

At a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Takaishi pledged that the government would continue to do its best and reminded people that they must protect their lives.

This aerial photo shows a vehicle sitting on a damaged road in the town of Tohoku, Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan, following a strong earthquake on Monday. Photo by Kyodo News via AP

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu. The US Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.6 and said it occurred at a depth of 44 kilometers (27 miles) below the surface.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said tsunami waves up to 70 centimeters (2 feet, 4 inches) high were measured at Koji Port in Iwate Prefecture, just south of Aomori, and waves up to 50 centimeters high also hit other communities in the area. The waves destroyed some oyster boats, NHK reported.

The agency lifted all tsunami warnings by 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said about 800 homes were without power and shinkansen bullet trains and some local lines were halted in parts of the area in the early hours of Tuesday. The East Japan Railway said bullet trains resumed operation in the area later on Tuesday.

Tohoku Electric Power Co. said power was mostly restored by Tuesday morning.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said about 480 residents took shelter at Hachinohe Air Base and 18 defense helicopters were mobilized to assess the damage.

NHK reported that about 200 passengers were stranded overnight at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. Part of the local airport building was rendered unusable on Tuesday after parts of its roof cracked and fell to the ground, according to the airport operator.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said about 450 liters (118 gallons) of water spilled from the spent fuel cooling area at the Rokashō fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, but the water level remained within normal range and there were no safety concerns. The authority said that no defect was found in other nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities.

The JMA warned of possible aftershocks in the coming days. It said there was a slight increase in the risk of a magnitude 8 earthquake and possible tsunami along Japan's northeastern coast from Chiba, east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido. The agency urged residents in the region's 182 municipalities to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week, reminding them that caution is not an expectation of a major disaster.

Monday's quake occurred just north of the coastal region where a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

“You have to prepare, assuming that a disaster like this could happen again,” said Satoshi Harada, a JMA official.

Smaller aftershocks continued on Tuesday. The USGS reported a 6.6 magnitude earthquake and then a 5.1 magnitude earthquake in the hours following the initial quake.

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