Japan issues tsunami warning after magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Pacific

A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off Japan's northern coast Monday and the local weather agency reported the arrival of two tsunami waves each 16 inches high. The weather agency warned of the possible arrival of waves up to three meters high.

Local media report several injured people after the quake which according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) occurred at (2:15 p.m. GMT) off Misawa, on the north coast of Japan, at a depth of 33 miles.

The first tsunami wave struck a port in Aomori, on Japan's main island, at 2:43 p.m. GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Seven minutes later, a second wave, also 16 inches high, slammed into Urakawa, in the Hokkaido region, the agency added.

Several injured after the impact of the first waves

Public broadcaster NHK quoted a hotel employee in the city of Hachinohe, Aomori, as saying there were some injuries. Live images showed shards of broken glass scattered along the roads.

The quake was also felt in urban central Sapporo, where alarms sounded on cellphones to alert residents. Japan is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic activity.

The archipelago, home to about 125 million people, records about 1,500 tremors each year. The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the earth's surface.