Japan earthquake: An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 hit Japan, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning. Reports of damage were not immediately available.
Japan earthquake updates: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 hit north central Japan on Monday, media reports claimed. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning along the coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures after a series of strong quakes shook western areas, the reports claimed.
Hokuriku Electric Power said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV reported. The Japan Meterological Agency reported a quake hitting Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, one of them measuring a preliminary magnitude of 7.4.
Japan earthquake: What we know so far:
NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres (16.5 feet) and urged people to flee to high land or a top of a nearby building as quickly as possible.
Waves more than 1 metre high hit the coast of Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture, NHK reported.
“All residents must evacuate immediately to higher ground,” national broadcaster NHK said after the quake hit the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4:10 pm (0710 GMT).
Meanwhile, South Korea’s meteorological agency said sea levels may rise on parts of the east coast after the 7.6 magnitude quake in Japan
A spokesperson for Kansai Electric Power said there were currently no abnormalities at its nuclear power plants but the company was monitoring the situation closely.
All high-speed trains stopped in Ishikawa Prefecture after powerful quakes hit western Japan, the local media reported.
A huge earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, devastating towns and triggering nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
The largest of the quakes prompted broadcasters to switch to special programming and make urgent calls for affected residents to leave for higher ground.
“We realise your home, your belongings are all precious to you, but your lives are important above everything else. Run to the highest ground possible,” a presenter on broadcaster NHK told viewers.
Japan has strict construction regulations intended to ensure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes and routinely holds emergency drills to prepare for a major jolt.
Japan is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.
In March 2022, a 7.4-magnitude quake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people. The capital Tokyo was devastated by a huge earthquake a century ago in 1923.
