An earthquake of 6.7 magnitude occurred in Japan’s Hokkaido and Tohoku regions on Friday, causing panic throughout the northern region. According to NHK, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a tsunami warning for the North Pacific coast. This shock comes after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake, after which a warning of aftershocks was issued late on Monday night.

Monday night’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake
A massive earthquake that occurred at 11:15 pm on Monday night shook northern Japan. The shock was recorded in the Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori. More than 34 people were injured in this accident.

Prime Minister Takaichi said – ‘Life is our first priority’
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that relief and rescue operations are underway and the damage is being assessed. He said, ‘We are giving priority to people’s lives and working at full capacity.’

High waves seen at many places
According to JMA, a tsunami wave about 70 centimeters high reached Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture. Waves up to 50 cm were recorded in nearby coastal cities. NHK reported that local oyster farming rafts suffered minor damage.

Electricity failure in 800 houses, stop on Shinkansen trains
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that power supply was disrupted in about 800 houses. As a precaution, Shinkansen (Bullet Train) and many local trains were stopped till Tuesday morning. East Japan Railway later confirmed that services had been restored. Tohoku Electric Power Company said power supply was restored in most areas by Tuesday morning.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has expressed the possibility of aftershocks in the coming days. The agency also said the risk of a major earthquake of magnitude 8 and a possible tsunami from Chiba (east of Tokyo) to Hokkaido off the north-eastern coast has ‘slightly increased’.

People advised to be cautious
182 local units in the area have been asked to remain alert and review their disaster preparedness plans till next week. JMA clarified that this is not a ‘prediction’ of any major earthquake, but an alert issued as a precaution.

Strong earthquake tremors were felt in northern Japan late on Monday night (8 December 2025). The intensity of the powerful earthquake that occurred at 11:15 pm was measured at 7.5. Its center was about 80 kilometers away from the northern coast of Honshu. The tremors in Aomori, Iwate and surrounding cities were so strong that people panicked and came out of their homes.

A few minutes after the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas. Waves about 70 centimeters high rose at Iwate’s Kuji Port, while water rising up to half a meter was seen on many other shores. The local administration had issued a warning in view of the danger of tsunami. However, later people got relief when the danger subsided.

23 people injured, chaos on the road

Most injuries during the earthquake were caused by falling objects. Several guests at a hotel in Hachinohe were injured after falling to the ground. A person’s car got stuck in a pothole caused by a road collapse in the Tohoku region. Overall, 23 people have been confirmed injured, although the condition of most is said to be stable.

Videos of shaking buildings went viral on social media

Immediately after the earthquake, a large number of videos started going viral on social media. In a video the entire office is seen shaking. The vehicles parked on the roadside are shaking due to the strong tremors of the earthquake. Many people said that the tremors of the earthquake were felt for more than a minute.

M7.6 earthquake in Hachinohe City captured by Aomori Asahi Broadcasting.

Japan’s disaster preparedness saves lives, but the sheer force of this quake is shocking.

May every family find protection and every soul find courage.#Japan #earthquake #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/vmHIVCrflj

— Sumit (@SumitHansd) December 8, 2025

BREAKING: A massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake has struck near Japan. Tsunami warning issued.#Japan #earthquake #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/LMTIOTtlhz

—TRIDENT (@TridentxIN) December 8, 2025

Electricity cut off and transport services halted

After the tremors, electricity to about 800 houses was cut off so that there was no possibility of any accident. High-speed Shinkansen trains were completely stopped for some time. Services of many local trains were also disrupted. Hundreds of passengers remained stranded overnight at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport waiting for the situation to return to normal.

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Tsunami warning has been issued after the strong earthquake in Japan. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude occurred in Aomori province. The Meteorological Department has issued a tsunami warning for Aomori, Iwate and Hokkaido provinces.

In fact, on Monday (December 8, 2025) at around 11:15 pm, an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude occurred near the eastern coast of Aomori province of Japan. After this, a warning has been issued for the coastal areas of Aomori, Iwate and Hokkaido provinces. It was told that in many areas the height of sea waves is expected to be up to 3 meters. People living in these areas have been advised to immediately move to higher places.

Japan’s meteorological agency gave information

At the same time, according to Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the intensity of the earthquake in Hachinohe city of Aomori province was recorded as Upper-6 on the Japanese scale. According to JMA, the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 50 kilometers of the earth and its intensity was estimated at 7.6.

Mild earthquake tremors were felt in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning (30 November). According to the National Earthquake Center (NCS), the intensity of the earthquake was recorded at 3.7 on the Richter scale. This incident is being reported at 10:27 am.

Regarding this earthquake in Chamoli, local people said that the tremors were felt only for a few seconds, due to which people came out of their homes. The district administration immediately issued an alert and kept relief teams ready. According to initial reports, there has been no loss of life or damage to property.

(This news is breaking and is being updated)

The Government of India has made a major re-evaluation of the seismic situation of the country in the new earthquake design code issued for the year 2025. The most important change this time is that the entire Himalayan region has been directly put in Zone VI, which is considered to be the highest risk area. This is the first time that the entire Himalayas have been included in a single high earthquake category. This clearly indicates that more care will have to be taken in planning future structures and cities.

According to TOI report, in India Earthquake Zoning Map 2025, about 61 percent of India’s land area is now in the range of moderate to extreme earthquake risk. This change is considered to be the biggest technological improvement compared to the last several decades, because in this, more importance has been given to the current geological situation and scientific study rather than assessment based on history.

Why was the Himalayas kept in the most dangerous zone?

New geological studies conducted on the Himalayan region show that the surface here may appear calm, but the extreme pressure inside it is constantly active. Earlier this entire area was divided into two separate zones, while scientists believed that this division did not accurately reflect the seismic reality. The new report makes it clear that the fault lines present within the Himalayas still have the potential to cause powerful earthquakes, which is why it has been included in the most dangerous category.

New category of cities situated on the border

This time a new provision has been added to the map, according to which if a city comes near the boundary of two seismic zones, then it itself will be considered in a high-grade zone. Due to this, many cities, which were earlier considered to be at low risk, have now come in the list of more sensitive areas. This change completely changes the old rules of administrative boundaries.

How was the new map prepared?

The Bureau of Indian Standards has prepared this zoning on the basis of PSHA i.e. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment Model. Many scientific information have been used in this model, including the thickness of the earth’s layers, pressure of collision of plates, activity of fault lines, speed of waves and possible maximum earthquake. This is the reason why this new version is considered much more reliable and modern than the previous one.

Strict rules for new constructions

After the implementation of the 2025 code, it will now be mandatory for all new buildings to be built as per earthquake-resistant standards. Hospitals, schools, bridges, pipelines and other important structures will be prepared in such a way that their operations will not be disrupted even after a major earthquake. Special attention will also be given to safely fitting heavy equipment and increasing the strength of buildings.

New provision of exposure window

Earthquake risk will be assessed not only by ground activity, but also by population, economic status, building density and sensitivity of local resources. This will enable a more realistic and accurate hazard map to be prepared for every city, which will prove to be very useful in future planning.

Why is there less change in South India?

The least changes in the new zoning have been made in South India. The main reason for this is that the peninsular region is considered geologically more stable and the possibility of major earthquakes is less here. Therefore its risk category remains almost the same as before.

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The Earth is made up of 4 layers, which include the inner core, outer core, mantle and the topmost layer is the crust. It is in this crust that there are tectonic plates, which cause earthquakes when they collide with each other or shift from their place. When the Earth was formed 4.6 billion years ago, high mountains were formed due to the collision of these plates, the Himalayan range is also one of these. But now India has released a new earthquake map, in which the plates of the Himalayan range have not moved for 200 years. That means a huge earthquake can occur at any time. At the same time, 75% of the country’s population is living in the new Danger Zone VI. In ABP Explainer, let us understand what is the new earthquake map of India, what major changes were made and what is going to happen next…

Question 1- What is the new earthquake risk map of India?
answer- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), an organization of the Government of India, has released a new earthquake risk map. this map ‘IS 1893 (Part 1): 2025’ It is part of the name code and has been implemented in the entire country from January 2025. Its full name is ‘Seismic Zonation Map’, which divides the country according to the risk of earthquake. The old map was of 2002, which was slightly updated in 2016, but now this new map has been made more accurate. Its purpose is to protect new buildings, bridges, highways and big projects from earthquakes, so that construction projects do not collapse in earthquakes and loss of life and property is reduced. BIS has said that from now on all engineers will have to use this new map.

Question 2- How different is the new map compared to the old map?
answer- Earlier India was divided into four main zones…

• Zone II-Low Danger
• Zone III- Moderate Danger
• Zone IV- high risk
• Zone V- Highest danger

Earlier there was also Zone I, but it was merged into Zone II. Now the new map also keeps the same four zones, but Zone V, with the highest danger, has been more strictly defined. It has been described as ultra-high risk or Zone VI because its danger is considered to be greater than before. Overall, 61% of the country’s area has now fallen into moderate to high danger zones III to VI, whereas earlier it was 59%. At the same time, 75% of the country’s population lives in the most dangerous areas. This change in the new map has been done using the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) method, which is better than the old historical data.

Question 3- What is the biggest change regarding the Himalayas in the new map?
answer- The biggest change has taken place in the entire Himalayan region, which is called the Himalayan Arc. Earlier, some part of the Himalayas was in Zone IV and some in Zone V, but now the entire hilly area from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh has been put in the same highest danger Zone VI. Vineet Gehlot, director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, said the old map did not properly understand the locked segments of the Himalayas, where stress has been accumulating for 200 years. Now this map has been made considering the fault lines, magnitude and soil type, hence the plain areas around the Himalayas like Dehradun, Haridwar will also be more cautious.

Question 4- Why was this done in the Himalayas, even though earthquakes had occurred there before?
answer- Yes, earthquakes used to occur, but new research has revealed that the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate are colliding beneath the Himalayas and at many places the plates have been locked for 200 years. Lock means it can’t move, so there’s a lot of force accumulating there. When this lock opens, an earthquake of magnitude 8 or more may occur. Reports from the National Center for Seismology (NCS) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) say that the next major earthquake could occur anywhere in the Himalayas. For this reason, BIS has put the entire Himalayas in a single Zone VI so that buildings get the strongest design, which can withstand high peak ground acceleration (PGA).

Question 5- Is South India out of danger in the new map?
answer- There is very little change in South India because the land there (Peninsular India) is very old and stable. The tectonic plates there are not very active. Most parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are still in Zone II or III, i.e. low or moderate risk. With the new map, the buildings there will be made a little stronger, but not as tough as Zone VI in the Himalayas. However, the risk of liquefaction (soil melting) has been seen in some coastal areas.

Question 6- How reliable is the new map?
answer- This is the most reliable map so far. BIS created it after 10 years of research, which included Wadia Institute, NCS and international experts. The old map was based only on old earthquakes (like 2001 Bhuj, 2015 Nepal), but the new one is made using the PSHA method. It includes GPS data, satellite imagery, active faults and millions of simulations. This method is used in countries like Japan and New Zealand. As a result, now the danger estimate is based on 2.5% probability in 50 years, which is more accurate.

Question 7- So will we now be completely safe from earthquakes?
answer- According to experts, no one can be completely safe, but the loss will be reduced by 80-90%. Earlier, weak buildings constructed in Zone IV-V used to collapse, but with the new rules the buildings will neither move nor collapse. Now 61% of the area will have strict design and 75% of the population will benefit. The NDMA report says that if we update even the old buildings, deaths in future earthquakes will be much less.

Question 8- When did the biggest and most dangerous earthquake occur in India?
answer- The 3 biggest earthquakes have occurred in India so far…

• Andaman’s Indira Point sank due to earthquake and tsunami in 2004: Indira Point of Andaman and Nicobar Islands sank due to the earthquake and tsunami that struck Indonesia on 26 December 2004. This earthquake caused devastation in 14 countries including India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The tsunami generated by this earthquake reduced the height of Indira Point by about 4.24 meters. About 1.7 lakh people died in this disaster.

• Devastation caused by earthquake in Kutch, Gujarat in 2001: In 2001, an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude occurred in Gujarat, which affected 24 districts of Gujarat. It caused maximum devastation in Kutch, Surendranagar and Radhanpur. 7,904 villages were destroyed in this earthquake. About 17 thousand people died and 1.67 lakh people were injured. In Bhuj of Kutch district, more than three thousand people died and 90% of the houses were damaged.
• Island formed in Bhuj due to earthquake 204 years ago: In 1819, an island was formed due to an earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat. It is known as Allah Bandh. Its intensity could not be known, but it is believed that this type of island was formed due to an earthquake of more than 7.8 intensity.

Strong earthquake tremors were felt in Alaska, an American state, on Thursday (November 27, 2025). According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), a 6.0 magnitude earthquake was felt 14 kilometers west of the Susitna area of ​​Alaska at 05.11 GMT on Thursday. According to USGS, the epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 80.4 km from the earth’s surface. Its initial location has been determined at 61.57 degrees north latitude and 150.78 degrees west longitude.

Earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Indonesia also

At the same time, nature is wreaking havoc in Indonesia these days. Strong earthquake tremors have been felt once again in Indonesia. The intensity of the earthquake has been measured at 6.2 on the Richter scale. However, the news of relief is that no tsunami warning has been issued at present.

According to the report of China’s news agency Xinhua, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said that an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred on the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia on Thursday. The epicenter of the earthquake was initially found at 2.68 degrees north latitude and 95.96 degrees east longitude. At the same time, its depth was measured at 10 kilometers.

On the other hand, Xinhua News Agency said that the death toll due to sudden floods and landslides in many areas and cities located in North Sumatra province of Indonesia has increased to 29. According to the information that came out a day before this, 13 people had died.

More than 400 houses and bridges collapsed, more than 7000 people displaced – officials

According to the Disaster Management Officer, more than 400 houses, many bridges and many public structures were destroyed in these disasters. More than 7,000 people have had to leave their homes and take shelter in other safe places. He further said that emergency has been declared in the areas of Mandeling Natal, South Tapanuli and North Tapanuli.

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A strong earthquake of 6.4 magnitude occurred in Sumatra island of Indonesia on Thursday. Earthquake tremors were felt near Aceh province. According to the Indonesian Meteorological, Climate and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the depth of the earthquake was 10 kilometers. Earthquake tremors were felt in many nearby areas, but it is a matter of relief that officials have said that there is no danger of tsunami.

The shock of the earthquake was felt not only in the affected area but also in the surrounding areas. The tremors were so strong that houses and buildings shook. Due to fear, people came out of their homes and gathered in open places.

Indonesia struggling with floods and landslides
Indonesia is seriously struggling with natural disasters these days. Just a day before the earthquake, more than 24 people had died in flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in North Sumatra province. Due to continuous rains, the embankments of the rivers broke and due to the hilly areas being filled with mud, the relief teams are not able to reach the 11 affected cities.

EQ of M: 6.4, On: 27/11/2025 10:26:25 IST, Lat: 2.99 N, Long: 96.23 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Indian Ocean.
For more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/5gCOtjdtw0 @DrJitendraSingh @OfficeOfDrJS @Ravi_MoES @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/rE7bqZfsUO

— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) November 27, 2025

Constant danger due to ‘Ring of Fire’
Indonesia is located in the ‘Ring of Fire’ region of the Pacific Ocean, which is considered one of the areas most prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the world. For this reason, there remains a danger of natural disasters here.

There was a big earthquake a few days ago also
Earlier on November 5, 2025, an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Sulawesi island of Indonesia. However, there was no report of any damage in that incident. This is the second major earthquake in recent times which has increased fear among the people.

Strong earthquake tremors were felt in Kolkata and surrounding areas this morning. Since then there is an atmosphere of fear among the people there. At many places, buildings kept shaking for a few seconds and people came out of their homes in fear. The epicenter of the earthquake was near Tungi area of ​​Bangladesh, from where strong tremors were felt at around 10:38 am.

After the tremors, a question was arising again and again in the minds of people. Did you receive an earthquake alert on your phone? Actually, nowadays smartphones send earthquake warnings in time, but only when this feature is on in the phone.

How do smartphones give earthquake warning?

Small motion sensors present in smartphones can sense even slight vibrations. When multiple phones nearby simultaneously record strong vibrations, this data is immediately transmitted to a central server. The server considers it as an earthquake and immediately sends an alert to the nearby users. It only takes a few seconds for this alert to arrive, but even those seconds can give someone a chance to reach a safe place.

How to turn on Earthquake Alerts on Android?

First of all, turn on the settings of your phone. After that come to Safety and Emergency. There you will see Earthquake Alerts, turn it on. By doing this, an alert will come in your phone before the earthquake.

How to turn on Emergency Alerts on iPhone?

Open Settings

Select Notifications

Scroll down and turn on Emergency Alerts.

You get extra alerts from MyShake App

This app will be available to users for free on both Android and iPhone. Open this app and complete the setup first and grant location access. This app sends you alerts of earthquakes above 4.5 magnitude.

Google also sends you two types of alerts.

Be Aware Alert: for mild shocks

Take Action Alert: Advice to immediately move to a safe place in case of strong aftershocks

Why is this feature important?

The Kolkata earthquake once again showed how important smartphone alerts are. An earthquake cannot be predicted, but as soon as the first shock occurs, the phone sends a warning, so that people can go to a safe place.