Japan earthquake: Toll rises to 50, tsunami warnings lifted
The island nation has been hit by 155 earthquakes since Monday including a 7.6-magnitude jolt and another over 6
The toll from the powerful earthquake in central Japan rose to 50 on Tuesday, AFP reported citing local authorities.
Japan's western coast rescuers raced to save residents trapped in the rubble of a 7.5 magnitude quake and aftershocks that hit central Japan, killing at least 50, reports CNN.
The powerful quake prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to immediately issue a "major tsunami warning" – the first since 2011's devastating earthquake and tsunami – for Noto but later downgraded it to a "tsunami warning."
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According to CNN, Tsunami warnings were later canceled as the threat of further tsunami waves diminished.
Under Japan's tsunami warning system, waves expected less than 1 meter fall under "tsunami advisory," while those expected up to 3 meters fall under "tsunami warning" and waves expected above 5 meters fall under "major tsunami warning."
The first waves were reported hitting the coast just over 10 minutes after the quake.
According to the United States Geological Survey, at least 35 smaller aftershocks were reported near the epicenter of the quake.
Susan Hough, a seismologist with the US Geological Survey warned that aftershocks could last for months.
Hough said people living in that part of the country have felt quakes before, but she believes this is "the biggest earthquake by far" — which means most residents likely don't have experience with a seismic event of this scale.
"An earthquake this big is going to continue to have aftershocks. It could easily have aftershocks bigger than magnitude 6, so that is going to be a hazard in its own right," Hough said.
