Major 7.4-magnitude quake hits off Japan, tsunami warning issued

April 20 (Reuters) - An earthquake ‌with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck off ​the northeastern coast of ​Japan on Monday afternoon, ⁠the Japan Meteorological ​Agency said.

It warned of a ​tsunami as high as 3 metres (9.84 ft) in Iwate, ​Aomori and Hokkaido ​prefecturs.

The tremor had an epicentre in ‌the ⁠Pacific Ocean and was 10 km deep, according to the JMA.

The ​quake ​measured ⁠an 'upper 5' on Japan's seismic intensity ​scale -- strong enough ​to ⁠make it difficult for people to move around. ⁠In ​many cases, ​unreinforced concrete-block walls collapse.