A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.5 in Japan tore down houses, ripped off road surface and triggered tsunami warnings for coastal areas. A major tsunami alert was issued for the Nato area as authorities warned that waves could reach five meters.
The warning, first in Japan since the 2011 earthquake, was later downgraded. Tsunami warnings have also been issued for neighbouring Niigata and Toyama prefectures.
Shortly after the warning, tsunami waves reached the coast in Ishikawa prefecture but they were not as high as the authorities had predicted.
Japan has witnessed as many as 60 earthquakes over the past few hours when the 7.5 magnitude quake hit Noto region in North Central Japan.
Authorities have also warned of more quakes in the next two to three days.
Meanwhile, the “major tsunami warning” has been downgraded to “tsunami warning” but people have been advised to stay evacuated from the coastal areas.
Elsewhere, tsunami warnings have also been issued in some parts of Russia and North and South Korea.
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami warnings brought back the memories of 2011 when tsunami waves as high as 15 meters hit Japan’s north-east coast, killing around 18,000 people.
According to local media reports, people are believed to be trapped inside the rubble of collapsed buildings and huge fire was reported in the Ishikawa area after the earthquake.
Videos shared by locals on social media showed ripped off road surfaces and parking lots. Electricity polls were uprooted at several places and more than 32,000 homes in Ishikawa prefecture wer said to be without power.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Japan has set up an emergency room for anyone to contact in connection with the earthquake and tsunami warnings.
It has issued emergency contact numbers for Indian citizens after a strong earthquake and tsunami warnings in Japan.
“Embassy has set up an emergency control room for anyone to contact in connection with the Earthquake and Tsunami on January 1, 2024. The following Emergency numbers and email IDs may be contacted for any assistance,” the Indian Embassy said in a statement shared on ‘X’.