Japan Braces for Possible Megaquake After Powerful 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Injures 33

A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Monday, injuring at least 33 people and prompting concerns of a potential 'megaquake'. The quake, which occurred about 80 km off the coast of Aomori prefecture, was followed by a series of smaller tremors and triggered a tsunami warning for the northeastern shoreline. The Japan Meteorological Agency initially reported the quake as 7.6 magnitude but later revised it to 7.5. The agency warned of possible tsunami waves up to 3 meters high, but later downgraded the warning to an advisory and eventually lifted it. The earthquake also caused widespread disruption, with around 90,000 residents forced to evacuate their homes. About 480 people were stranded at the Hachinohe Air Base, and 18 defence helicopters were deployed to assess the damage. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formed an emergency team to evaluate the extent of the damage and urged people in the region to follow the latest updates from local offices. The earthquake hit north of the area affected by the devastating 2011 magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Experts have long warned of the risk of a massive earthquake in Japan, which is located in the 'Ring of Fire' of volcanoes and deep ocean trenches around the Pacific Basin. A recent government projection estimated that a 'megaquake' and the resulting tsunami could lead to up to 298,000 deaths and cause up to $2 trillion in damage. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. The country's vulnerability to earthquakes is highlighted by the fact that it has about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.