A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook central Japan on Monday and authorities issued a tsunami warning for those living on the west coast.
In a Reuters report, it was said that electricity was also lost in thousands of households, and the operation of several airports and trains in the affected region was delayed.
The magnitude of the earthquake was previously recorded at 7.6, causing a one-meter-high wave on the coast of the Sea of Japan, which is likely to follow, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning to those living in the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama.
Russia has also issued tsunami warnings in its territories of Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
Authorities are still assessing the damage from the earthquake, while residents are advised to expect aftershocks.
“Residents need to stay on alert for further possible quakes and I urge people in areas where tsunamis are expected to evacuate as soon as possible,” said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a comment released on NHK.
Strong earthquake jolts Japan; some residents evacuated
Video footage released by NHK shows a damaged building in the coastal city of Suzu. While the residents of Kanazawa city hid under the table. The earthquake also shook several buildings in Tokyo.
More than 36,000 households lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, which Hokuriku Electric Power supplies.
High-speed rail services were temporarily suspended in Ishikawa, while telephone and internet services were disrupted in Ishikawa and Niigat, according to the websites of telecom companies Softbank and KDDI.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority announced that there were no reports of problems at nuclear power plants in the Sea of Japan, including the five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture.
Hokuriku’s Shika plant in Ishikawa the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. Reactors were said to have been stopped before the earthquake occurred because there was a regular inspection to be done, and no damage was found caused by the earthquake, according to the agency.
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