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Japan issued a string of tsunami warnings after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck the west coast on Monday, triggering widespread blackouts and evacuations during new year celebrations.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa prefecture in central Japan, the highest level of alert issued since the devastating tsunami in 2011 that disabled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Other lower-level warnings were issued for neighbouring coastal prefectures in Niigata and Toyama. The tsunami was expected to reach as high as five metres, with waves of around 1 metre already observed in parts of the Sea of Japan coast, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The earthquake, which was also felt in Tokyo, affected several nuclear power plants in the region including Tokyo Electric Power’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility in Niigata prefecture. But an official at Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said it had not detected any abnormalities in radioactivity levels at the plants.
The initial quake, which hit the Noto region of Ishikawa shortly after 4pm local time, was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks. Japan’s meteorological agency warned of more big shocks in the coming days.
Japan is prone to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. In 2011, the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Tohoku caused a huge tsunami that killed almost 20,000 people.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on residents in the regions affected by the tsunami to evacuate immediately, adding that the government was still assessing the extent of the earthquake damage. “Residents need to be fully alert for more potentially powerful earthquakes,” he warned.
More than 32,000 homes lost power in Ishikawa prefecture, according to Hokuriku Electric Power Company, while TV footage on Japanese media showed a large fire breaking out in the prefecture’s Wajima city and collapsed buildings. The quakes also disrupted bullet train services, plane flights and mobile networks in the region.
As of 6pm, chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at least six homes were damaged with people trapped inside, while the number of deaths and injuries remained unclear as the Japanese military took part in rescue operations.
Television footage showed buckled roads and cars washed away by the tsunami. In one video on social media, a woman who claimed to be in Noto Peninsula sought help against the background of a collapsed rooftop and beverage boxes. “Please help. My town is in serious trouble,” she said.
In South Korea, officials in the country’s eastern Gangwon province urged residents living near the coast to evacuate to higher ground after warnings of rising sea levels as a result of the tsunami.
Additional reporting by Christian Davies in Seoul
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