Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Hits Japan, Tsunami Alert
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has hit northern Japan, public broadcaster NHK says.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning along the coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama prefectures on Monday.
“All residents must evacuate immediately to higher ground,” NHK said after the quake hit the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4:10 p.m. local time (07:10 GMT). Waves more than one meter high (3.3 feet) hit the coast of Wajima City in Ishikawa, NHK reported. It said another earthquake warning has been issued for Ishikawa.
A tsunami of up to five meters (16.5 feet) is believed to be reaching Noto, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.Buildings began to sway in the area around the capital, Tokyo. There were initially no reports of damage or casualties. Hokuriku Electric Power said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, NHK reported.
South Korea’s meteorological agency said the sea level in some parts of the Gangwon province on the east coast may rise. Japan is one of the countries in the world most at risk from earthquakes.
