Japan was struck by another earthquake of magnitude 5.7 off the east coast of Honshu on Wednesday, two days after a 7.5-magnitude tremor rocked the country, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
The quake was at a depth of 31 km, the EMSC said. It earlier put the magnitude at 6.5 and depth at 57 km.
No reports of major damage or casualties were reported so far.
Emergency teams are monitoring the situation as aftershocks continue to rattle the region.
Japan’s 7.5-M Earthquake Injury Toll Rises
The injury toll following the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off Japan’s northern coast on Monday has risen to 51, authorities said on Wednesday. This powerful tremor, which hit late Monday near the coast of the Aomori region, caused significant disruption, shaking buildings, tearing apart road surfaces, smashing windows, and generating tsunami waves up to 70 centimeters (28 inches) high.
The country’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency provided the updated injury figure of 51 on Wednesday, increasing the count from the 30 initially reported the previous day.
Adding to the immediate concern, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a rare special advisory early Tuesday, cautioning that a subsequent earthquake of similar or greater size remains possible for the next week.
Local media reported the JMA estimated the chance of such an event is approximately one in 100 over the coming seven days, with the warning covering the Sanriku area on the northeastern tip of Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido.
Broader Seismic Threat
This localized warning comes against the backdrop of Japan’s most severe seismic threat: the potential for a “megaquake” along the Nankai Trough. The JMA previously issued a special advisory in August 2024 for the southern Pacific coast, relating to this 800-kilometer (500-mile) undersea trench. The Nankai Trough marks the boundary where the Philippine Sea oceanic tectonic plate is slowly slipping, or “subducting,” beneath the continental plate that hosts Japan.
Government analysis of a potential Nankai Trough event is dire, with official estimates suggesting a subsequent tsunami could result in up to 298,000 fatalities and cause economic damages reaching $2 trillion.
Earthquake of magnitude 4.3 strikes Afghanistan
An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 struck Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday, according to information shared by the National Center for Seismology (NCS).
The tremor was recorded at a depth of 150 km.
In a post on X, the NCS said: “EQ of M: 4.3, On: 10/12/2025 00:30:01 IST, Lat: 36.39 N, Long: 70.88 E, Depth: 150 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”
This latest quake follows another magnitude 3.8 earthquake reported by the NCS a day earlier, indicating continued seismic activity in the region.
AloJapan.com