Powerful earthquakes off Japan’s west coast prompt tsunami warnings

A series of powerful earthquakes off central Japan’s west coast prompted tsunami warnings Monday as residents were urged to seek higher ground. The Japan Meterological Agency (JMA) said the Noto region, on the western side of Japan’s main island of Honshu, was hit by a rapid series of quakes, starting with a 5.7 magnitude temblor at 4:06 p.m. local time.

That was followed by a major 7.6-magnitude quake just four minutes later, then a 6.1 magnitude temblor at 4:18 p.m., a 4.5 magnitude one at 4:23 p.m., a 4.6 magnitude quake at 4:29 p.m., and a 4.8 magnitude quake at 4:32.

The first tsunami waves, around four feet high, hit Ishikawa prefecture’s Wajima port about an hour after the quakes struck, and there were warnings of more possible tsunami as high as 16 feet in Ishikawa still to come.  Presenters on the national broadcaster NHK urged people in the region to leave everything behind and move quickly to higher ground.

“Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 km [about 186 miles] of the epicenter along the coasts of Japan,” the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, while the Japan Meteorological Agency warned the waves could be up to five metres high.  

Power companies that operation nuclear plants in the region said they were checking for any irregularities but reported no immediate problems, and the government later appeared to confirm the safety of the plants.

“It has been confirmed that there are no abnormalities at Shika nuclear power plant [in Ishikawa] and other stations as of now,” Hayashi Yoshimasa, a spokesperson for the national government said, according to the AFP news agency.

There was damage from the quakes, however, and video aired by NHK showed what appeared to be buildings collapsing in Ishikawa. The network said buildings shook all the way on the other side of Japan, in the capital Tokyo, and Yoshimasa said authorities were still checking the extent of damage in the affected regions in the west.

The Reuters news agency quoted utilities provider Hokuriku Electric Power as saying more than 36,000 households lost electricity in the Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures.

A huge earthquake and tsunami struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011, devastating a vast swathe of the country’s coastline and triggering nuclear reactor meltdowns in Fukushima.