The intensity of the earthquake that occurred in the central part of Japan was estimated at 7.6. Tsunami alerts have been issued in the Sea of Japan, for example to the western part of the island of Honshū.
A strong earthquake has occurred in the central part of Japan, on the west coast of the island nation. Its strength is estimated to be 7.6.
The Japanese authorities have said that the tsunami caused by the earthquake hit the shore in the Ishikawa area. The wave was smaller than expected. Its size was estimated to be 1.2 meters. The X-message service received a video from the Ishigawa area.
The first tsunami waves hit the port of Wajima in Ishikawa at 4:21 a.m. local time. The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that the seismological research institutes of the United States and other countries had registered the earthquake ten minutes earlier in the morning.
Immediately after the earthquake, the authorities urged residents in the Noto area of Ishikawa Prefecture to move away from the coast to higher ground. Also the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida appealed to local residents and urged them to evacuate.
According to the authorities, the Shika nuclear power plant in Hokuriku, which is located in Ishikawa and is located closest to the center of the earthquake, is operating normally. Japan is especially alert for nuclear accidents. In March 2011, the nuclear power plant was damaged in Fukushima in the tsunami caused by the earthquake. Almost 20,000 people died as a result of the accidents.
In Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture, the wave was about 40 centimeters high, says the Japanese public broadcasting company NHK. A tsunami alert has been issued for the central part of Japan, in addition to Ishikawa and Niigata, Toyama.
The earthquake shook buildings and was felt by means of transport. The earthquake was also felt on the other side of the island, in the capital Tokyo on the east coast of Japan.
South Korea warned of a tsunami on the east coast
According to NHK, the waves may rise up to five meters high. The tidal wave has caused power outages in at least 36,000 households. The busiest highways are closed in Ishigawa.
Japanese government spokesman Hayashi Yoshimasa urges the population to prepare for waves caused by new earthquakes. He said the authorities are investigating the extent of the damage. NHK’s pictures show at least some collapsing buildings in Ishikawa.
A tsunami warning has been issued for the western side of the island of Honshu. The South Korean Meteorological Institute also warned of rising water levels on the east coast of the country, especially in Gangwon province.
Reuters, AP
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