Govt. Panel Urges Caution On More Strong Quakes
A Japanese government committee has expressed caution about the possibility of more strong earthquakes over the next seven days after a powerful quake rocked the country's northeast and other areas late on Saturday.
The Earthquake Research Committee met at an extraordinary meeting on Sunday, one day after a magnitude-7.3 quake off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture. Twenty centimeter-high tsunami were observed at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture.
The committee said more quakes with a powerful magnitude could strike, bringing with them the risk of tsunami, in areas where aftershocks of the 2011 major quake have been focused. It said the likelihood of such quakes may remain for a long time.
Hirata Naoshi, who heads the committee, said larger tsunami could have occurred if Saturday's quake had struck in a shallower point with a higher magnitude.
He urged residents in coastal regions to ensure they are adequately prepared for strong quakes and tsunami.
The weekend's quake violently jolted Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, with some municipalities recording a seismic intensity of six-plus on the Japanese scale of zero to seven. Aftershocks have been continuing. More than 150 people are reported to have been injured.