Major earthquake strikes Japan's north-east coast
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck north-eastern Japan at 23:15 (14:15 GMT), 80km off the coast of the Aomori region, prompting brief tsunami warnings and the evacuation of approximately 90,000 residents.
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- Dec 8
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Open questions and key claims
The government set up an emergency task force to urgently assess the extent of damage.
The epicentre of the quake was 50 miles (80km) off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 30 miles.
No irregularities were reported at nuclear power plants in the region.
The quake occurred at 23:15 (14:15 GMT) at a depth of 50km (31 miles), about 80km off the coast of the Aomori region.
At least seven people had been injured.
No irregularities were reported at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants as a result of the quake.
Several people were injured at a hotel in the Aomori town of Hachinohe.
A tsunami as high as 3 metres (10ft) could hit the country’s north-eastern coast.
Who and where
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