A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on April 20, triggering tsunami alerts, evacuations and renewed fears of something far bigger, a potential megaquake. Initially, tsunami alerts warned of waves as high as three metres, but those fears were later scaled down as actual surges measured around 80 centimetres. The quake, recorded at a depth of 20 kilometres beneath the Pacific Ocean by the Japan Meteorological Agency, registered an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, strong enough to disrupt movement and damage weaker structures. While there have been no immediate reports of casualties or major destruction, the psychological impact is unmistakable. WATCH

A major rescue operation is currently underway in the Swiss Canton of Valais. At 7:00 AM local time, a passenger train carrying 29 people derailed near Goppenstein due to a massive avalanche. This incident follows a Level 4 "High Risk" warning issued by the Swiss Federal Institute last Wednesday.