TOKYO (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast, and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami alert in the region.
The quake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT), at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles) below the sea surface, the agency said.
Japan’s NHK public television said a tsunami of up to 3 meters (10 feet) could hit the area shortly.
