A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck western Japan on Monday afternoon, triggering a tsunami in eastern Russia and warning residents to evacuate as soon as possible from affected coastal areas of Japan, CNN reports.
The quake struck at 4:10 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometres (6 miles), about 42 kilometres (26 miles) northeast of the city of Anamizu in Ishikawa prefecture.
The Japan Meteorological Agency immediately issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of western Japan, and the first waves reportedly hit the coast in just over 10 minutes.
The first reports came from the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, where tsunami waves reached 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) around 4:21 p.m., according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. There were no reports of damage.
Authorities in Suzu town in Ishikawa told media, there are reports of casualties. No fatalities have been reported yet.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a severe tsunami warning is in effect for the city of Noto in Ishikawa, with waves expected to be about 5 metres high. It was the first major tsunami warning since 2011, according to a spokesman for Ishikawa Prefecture’s disaster management agency.
Earlier in his televised address, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged people living in areas where a tsunami warning is in effect to evacuate to higher ground.
According to Hokuriku Electric Power Company, more than 32,500 homes in Ishikawa Prefecture were left without power after the quake.
Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Company said in a statement on its website X that no abnormalities were reported at nuclear plants in the area.
According to Japan’s tsunami warning system, waves expected to be less than 1 metre fall under the “tsunami advisory” category, waves expected above 3 metres fall under the “tsunami warning” category, and waves expected above 5 metres fall under the “major tsunami warning” category.
