Japan has issued a major tsunami warning after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the central region.
Residents in the coastal Noto area in Ishikawa prefecture were asked to “evacuate immediately to higher ground,” national broadcaster NHK said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning along the coastal regions of Niigata and Toyama prefectures as well.
NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres and urged people to flee to high land or the top of a nearby building as quickly as possible.
The broadcaster reported that a tsunami with a height of 1.2 metres reached Wajima city in Ishikawa and another reaching 40cm was recorded at Kashizawaki city.
Reports of damage were not immediately available. Unverified footage posted to X showed waves of water surging up a canal in Ishikawa prefecture.
South Korea’s meteorological agency said sea levels off its eastern province of Gangwon could rise after the earthquakes.
Japan’s Hokuriku Electric Power Company reported that more than 36,000 houses were experiencing power outages after the quakes.
The area affected by the earthquake includes a nuclear plant, however, the country’s chief cabinet secretary reported that there were so far no irregularities at any plants, following the quakes.
The official urged people to continue to evacuate and warned residents to prepare for possible further quakes.
A huge earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan on 11 March 2011, leading to the deaths of 18,000 people. The disaster devastated towns and triggered nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
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