Tsunami warning issued as powerful earthquakes shake Japan

A series of powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 7.6 has rocked central Japan.

A tsunami warning has been issued for the country’s entire western coast where waves may rise as high as five meters. Authorities have urged local residents to immediately leave coastal areas.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has set up a crisis center to collect and assess information about the quakes. No casualties or damage have been reported so far. The prime minister handed down instructions to address the consequences of the disaster and protect the people.

Energy companies are checking nuclear facilities for damage. However, the national atomic energy control authority said that no emergency situations had been reported at the country’s nuclear power plants.

Meanwhile, over 35,000 households have been left without electricity in central Japan. The Shinkansen high-speed train service has been suspended in the region.

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 Magnitude    7.5
Region    NEAR WEST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Date time    2024-01-01 07:10:10.4 UTC
Location    37.544 ; 137.234
Depth    9 km
Distance    90 km N of Takaoka, Japan / pop: 170,000 / local time: 16:10:10.4 2024-01-01
45 km NNE of Anamizu, Japan / pop: 17,800 / local time: 16:10:10.4 2024-01-01