Tragic reports have confirmed a mega earthquake striking off the coast of northern Japan during the late evening hours yesterday.

As a result, 33 people were said to have been injured in the aftermath of the natural calamity that measured a rare 7.5 magnitude. This prompted authorities to issue their first-ever top-tier megaquake warning under the latest system.

The incident prompted authorities to roll out tsunami warnings that were triggered along much of the Pacific coastline from Hokkaido down to Chiba.

The waves recorded were said to hit 70 cm in coastal communities, and earlier forecasts had warned of possible surges that could go as high as 3 meters. While the tsunami alerts were soon lifted and no major structural damage was confirmed, the quake reportedly forced the evacuation of nearly 90,000 residents and disrupted train services.

It also forced hundreds of homes to remain without any water or electricity while safety checks were performed, including those at the country’s nuclear power plants.

Officials were seen issuing another warning regarding aftershocks and even stronger potential tremors in the next few days. They’ve also gone on to urge people in coastal zones to remain alert and roll out emergency plans. Meanwhile, schools in some affected regions remain shut.