Watch | First waves of tsunami crash on Japan’s coasts after quake jolts western region

As per Japan's meteorological agency, this is the first time such a major tsunami warning has been issued in the country since March 2011.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: January 2, 2024 07:30 AM IST

3 min read

Japan Meteorological Agency said in a nationally broadcast news conference that more major quakes could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days. (X)

After a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck north-central Japan, residents witnessed tsunami waves hitting the coastal areas on Monday afternoon. Urgent evacuation warnings have been issued in several areas.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a televised address, asked citizens to follow evacuation orders closely and warned that more powerful quakes and tsunami waves might follow the initial ones.

Visuals of the first waves of tsunami crashing the coastal areas of Japan surfaced on the internet.

Watch:
https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1741726428838944775
“Waves of 80 cm reached Toyama Prefecture around 4.35 pm and waves of 0.4 meters also reached Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, at 4.36 pm. It also reached Niigata’s Sado Island at 4.10 pm,” The Japan Times said in a report.

The powerful earthquake which hit earlier in the day also caused damage in several areas including Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture.

Bullet trains in the area were halted. Parts of the highway were also closed, and water pipes had burst, according to local media reports.

Japan Meteorological Agency said in a nationally broadcast news conference that more major quakes could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.

As per Japan’s meteorological agency, this is the first such major tsunami warning issued in the country since 2011. In March 2011, more than 18,000 people died or went missing as a tsunami triggered by a massive quake engulfed coastal areas of northeastern Japan.

The Japanese government has set up a special emergency centre to gather information on the quakes and tsunami and relay them speedily to residents to ensure safety, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

— With inputs from Reuters

From the homepage