Indus Valley Times

Japan,Jan 1 : A series of strong earthquakes struck Japan on Monday, triggering tsunami waves as high as five foot, and prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings and evacuation advisories for people on the country’s northwestern coast, local media reported.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake hit Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, with one of them having a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, according to The Associated Press. According to the local weather agencies, tsunami waves were predicted within 300 kilometres of the epicentre in Noto in Ishigawa after the earthquake.

The earthquake began with a 5.7 magnitude earthquake at 4:06 pm (local time). This was followed by a 7.6-magnitude quake at 4:10 pm (local time), a 6.1 magnitude quake at 4:18 pm (local time), a 4.5 magnitude one at 4:23 pm (local time), a 4.6 magnitude quake at 4:29 pm (local time), 4.8 magnitude quake at 4:32 pm (local time).

The US Geological Survey said another quake with a magnitude of 6.2 hit soon after.

TSUNAMI WARNINGS, PEOPLE EVACUATED

People were urged to quickly leave coastal areas and move to the top of buildings or higher land as waves up to 5 metres hit the coast of Noto in Ishikawa following the tsunami warning, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Local Met office said as many as 21 earthquakes with magnitude 4.0 were recorded, AFP news agency reported.

The JMA warned that people experiencing a tsunami of over 1 metre were considered “highly likely to be unable to stand, with the possibility of death”, according to The Japan Times.

Tsunami warnings were issued by the JMA along the western coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures, Reuters reported. Other prefectures, including Niigata and Toyama, saw waves reaching up to 3 metres, NHK reported.

Several videos on social media showed buildings shaking violently, prompting people to rush for cover beneath chairs and tables while some roads cracked up and raging tsunami waves threatened to inundate coastal areas.

Tsunami alerts for North Korea and Russia’s far eastern cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka have been issued by the governments of both countries.

The JMA issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Honshu island, The Associated Press reported.

According to NHK, the tsunami waves would persist and warnings were being updated after being aired for nearly an hour following the initial alert.

Tremors were felt in the capital Tokyo and across the Kanto area, The Japan Times reported.

There have been no reports of damage or casualties so far.

Local media reported that Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended in central and eastern Japan following the series of earthquakes and tsunami warnings.

Power supply to nearly 34,000 households has been lost after the tsunami. Several major highways in central Japan near the epicentre were shut. Phone and internet services in Ishikawa and Niigata were disrupted.

More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, utilities provider Hokuriku Electric Power said.

It also said it was checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, Reuters reported, citing NHK.

The Japan Prime Minister’s Office has issued a tsunami advisory, directing authorities to provide timely and accurate information to the public regarding the tsunami and evacuation of people, and take thorough measures to prevent damage.

It also asked authorities to assess any possible damage and act in close coordination with local governments in prioritising saving human lives and rescuing people stranded in the coastal areas where tsunami waves were sighted.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged people in the affected areas to “continue to pay close attention in case of strong earthquakes”.

“In areas where tsunamis are expected, I would like to request that they evacuate as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying by The Japan Times.

The Indian Embassy in Tokyo has set up an emergency control room for anyone to contact and posted emergency numbers and e-mail IDs for any assistance.

Japan is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plate interactions are frequent.

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan’s Honshu island, the most powerful in the country’s history, and triggered a series of devastating tsunami waves.

Over 18,000 people died in the disaster, which also precipitated a nuclear emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as tsunami waves inundated the facility along with coastal areas.

-PTI