A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit northeastern Japan on Monday night, injuring multiple people and triggering tsunami alerts and evacuation orders for thousands of residents.

The big picture: The quake that the Japan Meteorological Agency noted happened around 23:15pm local time at a depth of 31 miles some 50 miles off the coast of Aomori Prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, caused "blackouts and fires" in some areas, a government official said at a briefing.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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