Tsunami warning issued after magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes central Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning along coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures. (Screengrab: Japan Meteorological Agency)
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TOKYO: A massive earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 hit central Japan on Monday (Jan 1), triggering a tsunami warning and advisories for residents to evacuate.
A tsunami around 1m high struck parts of the coast along the Sea of Japan with a larger wave expected, public broadcaster NHK reported.
"All residents must evacuate immediately to higher ground," it said after the quake hit the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4.10pm (0710 GMT).
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama.
Hazardous tsunami waves of up to 5m were possible along the north coast of central Japan on Monday within 300km of the quake's epicentre, US and Japanese agencies said.
"Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300km of the epicenter along the coasts of Japan," the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, while JMA warned the waves could be up to 5m high.
Hokuriku Electric Power said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, NHK reported.
A spokesperson for Kansai Electric Power said there were currently no abnormalities at its nuclear power plants but the company was monitoring the situation closely.
A huge earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan on Mar 11, 2011, devastating towns and triggering nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
