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New Delhi:  A 7.4-magnitude earthquake, striking deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, sent tremors across Honshu Island on Monday, prompting immediate tsunami warnings for Japan’s northern region, Iwate, Aomori, and Hokkaido.

Authorities swiftly urged residents in coastal zones to evacuate as waves up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) were anticipated. The powerful undersea jolt, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, occurred at precisely 4:53 p.m. local time, at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometres (about 6 miles) off the coast of Iwate. Its impact was far-reaching, with buildings swaying noticeably for several minutes even in the distant capital, Tokyo.

The urgency of the situation can be gauged by the national broadcaster NHK, which announced, which flashed stark warnings in English across screens. “Tsunami! Evacuate! Don’t turn back.” This direct plea was echoed by officials, who instructed citizens to move to higher ground without delay.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi promptly addressed the nation, confirming the establishment of an emergency task force and reiterating the critical need for immediate evacuation in the affected regions.

Visuals from Hachinohe port in Hokkaido, aired by NHK, showed fishing vessels making their way out to sea. On land, the tremors caused disruptions, with bullet train services in Aomori, at the northern tip of Japan’s main island, being temporarily halted, according to the Kyodo news agency.

The quake measured an “upper 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, indicating a severe shaking capable of making it extremely difficult for people to stand and move, and potentially causing unreinforced concrete-block walls to collapse.

Japan, a nation famously situated on the volatile “Ring of Fire,” is no stranger to seismic activity, experiencing a tremor roughly every five minutes and accounting for approximately 20 per cent of the world’s earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater.

Regarding critical infrastructure, while there are no nuclear power plants currently operational in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, several shutdown facilities exist, owned by Hokkaido Electric Power Co and Tohoku Electric Power Co.

Tohoku Electric confirmed it was diligently checking for any impact of the earthquake and potential tsunami on its Onagawa nuclear power plant, Reuters reported. The immediate focus remains on public safety and monitoring coastal areas for the arrival of the expected waves.