Foreign

Massive 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan, Tsunami Warning Issued (Video)

Published

12 months ago

January 1, 2024

A powerful earthquake measuring over seven on the Japanese scale hit central Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The earquake was followed by a series of strong quakes, reports said..

The Japan Meterological Agency reported a quake hitting Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, one of them measuring a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. People in Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa prefectures of the Japan sea side have been asked to evacuate immediately.

In Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, a “major tsunami warning” was issued with waves estimated to go as high as give metres.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned waves could reach as high as 5 metres (16.5 feet) and urged people to move to high land or top of nearby buildings as quickly as possible.

Multiple posts on microblogging site X surfaced within minutes of the powerful earthquake hitting Japan.

“Tsunami warnings are in place for all prefectures with coasts facing the Sea of Japan. Japanese TV urging people to run immediately to higher ground! This is serious. 5m waves expected in Ishikawa. #japan #earthquake,” the post by Greg R. Hill
read.

Another post from the same account showed rough waves travelling up waterways in Ishikawa. “Tsunami waves already travelling up waterways in Ishikawa prefecture, with others expected to follow soon. Please evacuate now! #japan #earthquake” the post read.

A video posted by a news portal, BNO, showed people taking shelter under tables at what looked like a bowling arena, with screams and sound of things falling in the background

WATCH: 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits western Japan. Reports of damage coming in pic.twitter.com/g2C1Fxetb4
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 1, 2024

First pictures emerge of damaged houses after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits #Japan. pic.twitter.com/mpX0jpK2GU
— Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) January 1, 2024

Terrible situation in #Japan.#tsunami alert..#緊急地震速報 pic.twitter.com/GtFTBdMSON
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) January 1, 2024

Some unconfirmed reports of damage surfaced after the earthquake. The government was set to hold a news conference later in the day.

Apart from Noto, Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV said a tsunami of about 3 metres high was expected to hit Niigata and other prefectures on the western coast of Japan. Smaller tsunami waves were already confirmed to have reached the coastline, according to NHK.
Japan is an extremely earthquake-prone nation. In March 2011, the north-eastern coast of Japan was struck by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in the country. It triggered a tsunami up to 30 metres high that washed up to 5 kilometres inland, leaving over 19,000 people dead