Major earthquake off Japan’s north coast prompts tsunami alert

Tokyo — A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast Monday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue 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. (2:53 a.m. Eastern on Sunday), at a depth of about 6 miles below the sea surface, the agency said.

Japan’s NHK public television said a tsunami of up to 10 feet could hit the area shortly, and there were warnings for residents along the northeast coast of Iwate Prefecture, on the main island of Honshu, and on the northern island of Hokkaido to evacuate inland to higher ground.