Reports of the earthquake destroying buildings and sending terrified residents running into the streets
Dailymail.com
A devastating earthquake hit central Japan today with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, triggering a tsunami warning as residents were urged to evacuate. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported huge quakes off the coast of Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas shortly after 4pm local time (7am UK time). The agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 16.5ft (5m) and urged people to flee to high land or to the top of nearby buildings. The tsunami waves could keep returning, according to NHK, as warnings continued to be aired nearly an hour after the initial alert. A tsunami around 3ft (1m) high struck parts of the coast along the Sea of Japan with a larger wave expected.
The Japanese government will hold a news conference later in the day, with reports of any damage not immediately available.
Several major highways were closed, the road operator said, and Shinkansen bullet train services were also suspended between Tokyo and the epicentre in the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
Around 33,500 households on the western coast of Honshu were left without power, according to local utilities.
Takashi Wakabayashi, a worker at a convenience store in Ishikawa Prefecture, said some items had tumbled from the shelves following the tremors, but the biggest problem was the huge crowd of people who had shown up to stock up on bottled water, rice balls and bread.
‘We have customers at three times the level of usual,’ he said.
Fears are mounting that Japan’s coastal nuclear power plants could be affected in the wake of the quake.
But operators have confirmed that no issues have been detected yet.
‘It has been confirmed that there are no abnormalities at Shika nuclear power plant (in Ishikawa) and other stations as of now,’ government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
‘Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately,’ he added. Hokuriku Electric Power, Tokyo Electric Power Co, and Kansai Electric Power operate several nuclear power plants along the coastline that could be struck by tsunamis.
Meanwhile in South Korea, officials in Gangwon province warned residents to take precautions and evacuate to higher grounds in anticipation of a potential tsunami.
South Korea’s meteorological agency earlier said sea levels in some parts of the Gangwon province on the east coast may rise after the earthquakes.
The city of Samcheok advised residents to move to areas higher than a three-storey building, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said.