Japan has called on people to “immediately evacuate” after a 7. 6 magnitude earthquake occurred in the central region.
A major tsunami warning has been issued for the coastal area from Noto to Ishikawa, warning of waves up to 5 meters high.
Authorities also issued a tsunami warning for neighboring Niigata and Toyama prefectures, where they said waves could be as high as 3 meters.
The public television station broadcast an “evacuation” message in large letters, urging people to evacuate to higher ground despite the cold.
An NHK host called on concerned viewers: “We know your house, your belongings are precious to you, but your life is more important than anything.
People also posted videos of houses and subway trains shaking during the quake.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a series of earthquakes struck the Noto region in the afternoon, starting with a magnitude 5. 7 quake at 4:06 p. m local time (07:06 GMT).
This was followed by a magnitude 7. 6 earthquake and at least five other earthquakes within an hour.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi warned people to prepare for further earthquakes.
The country’s largest nuclear operator, Kansai Electric, said there was “nothing unusual” at nuclear plants in the affected area.
The Korean weather agency warned that a tsunami up to 0. 3 m high could hit the country’s east coast between 6:29 p. m and 7:17 p. m
Russia has issued a tsunami warning for the port cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka in the country’s far east, the country’s official TASS news agency reported.
In 2011, Japan suffered a magnitude 9 earthquake followed by a tsunami that devastated coastal communities in the country’s northeast, killing nearly 18,000 people and displacing tens of thousands.
The tsunami caused a nuclear explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
