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Japan issues tsunami alert after major earthquake

Deutsche Welle

  01 Jan 2024, 19:46


The alert was issued for coastal regions in central Japan after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. Residents were urged to immediately evacuate.


The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Monday issued tsunami warnings along the western coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures.

The Ishikawa prefecture, in the Noto region along the Sea of Japan, was hit by a series of quakes on Monday, the largest of which was logged as a magnitude 7.6 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey and other agencies.

Tsunami warning and alerts

The JMA had issued a "major tsunami warning" for Ishikawa, while the rest of the northwestern coast of Japan's island of Honshu was issued lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories.

Public broadcaster NHK warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 meters (16.5 feet), which is higher than the 3 meter threshold for a "major tsunami warning."

NHK reported that smaller tsunami waves had already been confirmed to have reached the coastline.


Later on Monday, authorities downgraded the major tsunami warning to a "tsunami warning," and urged people to still evacuate.

A 45-centimeter high (1.5 feet) tsunami on the South Korean east coast can grow and continue for more than a day, according to the country's meteorological agency.

Meanwhile, the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said "the tsunami threat has now largely passed."

Emergency services in the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin issued an alert, saying that the island's western coast "may be affected by tsunami waves."

North Korea also issued a tsunami warning.


What do we know about the earthquake?

The Noto region saw a rapid succession of earthquakes, starting with a 5.7 magnitude tremor at around 4:06 p.m. local time (0704 UTC).

A 7.6-magnitude quake hit just four minutes later and was followed by a series of weaker tremors for around 90 minutes, said the JMA. In total, the agency recorded 21 quakes of 4.0 magnitude or higher.


Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said at least six homes were damaged by the quakes, with people trapped inside, while more than 30,000 households had no electricity.

No reports of deaths or injured have been confirmed, he added.

According to media reports, buildings swayed in the area around the capital, Tokyo, on the central coast of Honshu.

Officials have warned that more earthquakes can hit the region over the coming days.

"Residents need to stay on alert for further possible quakes and I urge people in areas where tsunamis are expected to evacuate as soon as possible," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.


Nuclear plants report no abnormalities

The Japanese government said no abnormalities were reported at the nuclear plant in the area and nearby stations.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said the Shika plant in Ishikawa, the closest to the quake's epicenter, had already halted its two reactors before the tremors for regular inspection.

Kishida said the government has set up a special emergency center to gather information on the quakes and tsunami and relay them quickly to residents.

A news conference was planned for 0910 UTC.

In 2011, a major quake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people, devastated towns and triggered nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.

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