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Shaking walls, flying papers: Video shows violent tremor as 30 injured in Japan earthquake | WATCH
The tremors were recorded at 7.5 by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), but they damaged roads and left thousands without power in freezing temperatures.
Shocking and scary videos have emerged from Japan, showing the impact of the big quake off the north of the country that left at least 30 people injured on Monday.
A video of inside a newsroom is going viral on social media, which shows the walls of the room shaking violently. The 1 minute 54 second long video, reportedly from the office of the broadcaster ABA Aomori Asahi Broadcasting, showed papers flying off the desks at the Hachinohe city branch as equipment barely held its position in the tremors, which were initially reported to be of the magnitude 7.6. Watch the video here:
The tremors were later downgraded to a 7.5 by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), but they damaged roads and left thousands without power in freezing temperatures. A tsunami warning was also issued.
Follow the LIVE updates on the Japan earthquake here.
According to the JPA, the quake at 11:15 PM on Monday (1415 GMT) increased the likelihood of similar or larger tremors in the days to come.
30 people injured in Japan quake
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 30 people were injured in the quake off the coast of the Aomori region, which triggered tsunami waves up to 70 centimetres (28 inches) high.
The injured included one person seriously hurt in the main northern island of Hokkaido, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Footage showed several crevasses in roads and at least one car in a hole, with broken glass from windows scattered on roads and pavements.
Initially, there were reports of several fires. Government spokesman Minoru Kihara said Tuesday that there was one confirmed blaze at a house.
Some 28,000 people were advised to evacuate their homes after the quake, emergency services said, and media reports indicated that some makeshift shelters were full.
With temperatures around the freezing point, some 2,700 homes in Aomori were without power, which was reduced to less than 40 in a matter of hours, according to Kyodo News, in the hours after the quake.
Initially, the JMA issued a warning of tsunamis up to three metres (10 feet) in height, which could have caused significant damage, and urged thousands of residents to seek safe locations.
In the end, the biggest waves recorded measured up to 70 centimetres, and after several hours, the warnings were lifted.
The Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended in some areas while engineers checked for any damage to the tracks.
No abnormalities were detected at the Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori or the Onagawa facility in nearby Miyagi, operator Tohoku Electric Power said.
PM Takaichi urged residents to be careful.
"Please listen to information from the JMA or local governments for about a week and check if furniture is fixed .... and be prepared to evacuate when you feel shaking," she said.
