Japan has been put on alert for 10ft tsunami waves after a massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit on Monday, with locals in the affected areas told to ‘evacuate immediately’
A tsunami warning has been issued after Japan was hit with a huge 7.4 magnitude earthquake, with 10ft waves expected “immediately”.
The massive tsunami wave of three metres (10ft) is expected to hit Iwate prefecture and parts of Hokkaido “immediately” following the quake which was recorded at 4.53pm local time (7.53am UK time).
Tsunamis will also be expected over the next hour in Aomori, Miyagi and Fukushima, though these waves are only expected to be three feet, reports Japanese media The earthquake was six miles deep and the epicentre was in the Pacific Ocean. The tremor was reportedly strong enough to shake large buildings as far as Tokyo, hundreds of miles away.
Footage from inside a cafe in Japan showed signs and hanging lights swaying side to side. Another showed the light from an ornate chandelier rapidly flashing while the ornamental piece of lighting swayed.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned: “Evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building.
“Tsunami waves are expected to hit repeatedly. Do not leave safe ground until the warning is lifted.”
The office of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s office said it has set up a crisis management team in the wake of the earthquake.
Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, accounts for 18% of the world’s earthquakes and experiences 1,500 jolts every year – although the majority of them are mild.
In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
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