7.6-magnitude earthquake hits west coast of Japan: Tsunami warning issued for island and Russian coast

waves Tsunami A height of more than a meter shook the center Japan After a series of strong Earthquakes It damaged homes, closed roads and prompted officials to send people to higher ground.

A An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale occurred in Noto regionIn the province Ishikawa, at 4:10 pm (0710 GMT), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The Japan Meteorological Agency said 21 consecutive 4.0 magnitude earthquakes Or shook the central part of the country for more than 90 minutes.

Tsunami waves are up to 1.2 meters high They attacked the port WajimaIn the province IshikawaAt 16:21 (0721 GMT), the strongest tremor occurred 10 minutes later, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

“All residents should evacuate to higher ground immediately,” the national broadcaster said. NHK After earthquakes.

Ishikawa was under a “major tsunami warning”, the first since the devastating 2011 earthquake, and waves of three to five meters could hit the coast. Officials have also confirmed that waves are coming in the provinces Yamagata, don't you And Did you?.

He Pacific Tsunami Warning CenterBased in Hawaii, he said it might be Dangerous tsunami waves within a radius of 300 km From the epicenter of the earthquake along the Sea of ​​Japan coast of Honshu, Japan's main island.

So, including cities in the Russian Far East VladivostokThey published a “Warning“Due to the risk of a tsunami, no evacuations are being carried out at this time. “Coast areas of the west coast Sakhalin “They may be affected by tsunami waves,” the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations warned in a telegram. Vladivostok authorities advised fishermen to return to port.

South Korea The news agency reported that the sea level is rising Yonhap. Eastern Province Gangwon Some residents were urged to evacuate to higher ground. South Korea's Meteorological Administration said tsunami waves could reach higher heights after the initial waves.

The Japanese government said it still exists Assesses the damage If there were victims.

city Wajima, in Ishikawa Prefecture, has been hit hardest by the earthquake so far. Local authorities have confirmed that at least a dozen buildings have collapsed The number of people trapped under the rubble is yet to be determined.

They also erupted in the city The fire destroyed at least half a dozen homes. There are no reports of injuries or casualties yet.

About 33,500 houses around the earthquakeIn Toyama, Ishikawa and Nikita prefectures, They suffered without electricity. According to local utility companies.

A video posted on social media site X showed rows of wooden houses collapsing in the quake, with walls and roofs collapsing.

“This is Noto's Matsunami district. We are in a terrible situation. Please come help us. “My city is in a terrible situation,” one man asks in the video.

City Hospital SusuIn Ishikawa, there is receives a large number of casualties. Damaged roads cause delays in transporting the injured. As there is no electricity in the vicinity, the hospital runs on its own generators. Temperatures in the affected area are expected to drop by around 1 degree Celsius overnight..

JMA said it had experienced a quick succession of earthquakes in the Noto area, with another 6.2 quake after the initial cluster, according to the USGS.

The biggest of the earthquakes led television networks to switch to special programs Urgent call for affected residents to move to higher ground.

“We know your home and belongings are precious to you, but Their lives matter above all else. “Run to the maximum area possible,” a network anchor told viewers. NHK.

Japan's highway operator said several major highways were closed around the quake and bullet train services were suspended. Shinkansen They were suspended between Tokyo and the earthquake in Noto. Economic newspaper Nikkei It is also reported that they have Train services have been suspended In the northeast of the country and in the center and north of the west coast.

New Year's Day is a major winter holiday in Japan, and many families return from the big cities in their hometowns to visit their relatives. Tokyo And Osaka. Residents of the nation's capital have reported shaking buildings as a result of the quake, but there are currently no reports of casualties in the metropolis.

Japanese Prime Minister's Office, Fumio KishidaA crisis cabinet was convened to manage the situation.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRA) of Japan I declare that No problems have been detected in the reactors of any nuclear power plant in the area. A press conference was held around 6:30 pm. However, oil spills and other minor damage have been confirmed at nuclear power plants in the area.

The Kansai Electric Power Company has not confirmed any damage to the nuclear power plants oh And TakahamaFukui prefecture is two of the most vulnerable on the west coast to a possible earthquake, according to a Japanese public broadcasting report. NHK.

According to a statement from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the Kashiwasaki-Kariwa plant remains unaffected. Asahi Shimbun.

Two of the reactors currently operating in the area are in power ShigaIn Ishikawa, a scheduled inspection was not in operation at the time of the tremors.

Most of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors have been inactive since the nuclear disaster Fukushima March 2011, triggered by a magnitude 9 earthquake and devastating tsunami.

Japan It has strict construction standards to ensure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes and regularly conducts emergency drills to prepare for a major shock.

But the country exists In March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude underwater earthquake struck northeastern Japan.A tsunami was triggered by leaving around 18,500 dead or missing.

He 2011 Tsunami As a result, all three reactors in the nuclear power plant melted down. FukushimaCaused the worst post-war disaster in Japan and the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

In March 2022, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake off the coast of Fukushima shook large parts of eastern Japan, killing three people.

The capital, Tokyo, was devastated by the great earthquake of 1923, a century ago.

(With information from EFE and AFP)