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A major earthquake of 7.6 magnitude has hit Japan’s north-eastern region, prompting tsunami warnings and orders to evacuate residents.
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, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, while waves of 40cm (16in) were seen in some places.
Local media reports that some people in the region have been injured, while trains have been suspended as a precaution.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.
Orders were issued for about 90,000 residents to evacuate, according to Reuters news agency.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted a hotel employee in Hachinohe as saying a number of people had been injured.
No irregularities were reported at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power plants as a result of the quake, Tohoku Electric Power said.
