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A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, triggering warnings for residents to evacuate some areas on its west coast, destroying buildings, knocking out power to thousands of homes and disrupting travel to the region.
The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of around 1 metre along parts of the Sea of Japan coast, with authorities saying larger waves could follow.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. A major tsunami warning - the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan - was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded.
Russia also issued tsunami warnings in its far eastern cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
Several houses have been destroyed and army units have been dispatched to help with rescue operations, top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding that authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage.
More strong quakes in the area, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, could occur over the coming days, JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.
In comments to the press shortly after the quake struck, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also warned residents to prepare for more disasters.
"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," Kishida said.
"Run!" a bright yellow warning flashed across television screens advising residents in specific areas of the coast to immediately evacuate their homes.
Images carried by local media showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the coastal city of Suzu and a huge crack in a road in Wajima where panicked-looking parents clutched their children. There have been reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings in Wajima, NHK reported, citing the city's fire department.
The quake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo, some 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast.
More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, utilities provider Hokuriku Electric Power said.
High-speed rail services to Ishikawa have been suspended while telecom operators Softbank and KDDI reported phone and internet service disruptions in Ishikawa and Niigata, according to their websites.
Japanese airline ANA turned back planes headed to airports in Toyama and Ishikawa, while Japan Airlines cancelled most of its services to Niigata and Ishikawa regions and authorities said one of Ishikawa's airports was closed.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities have been confirmed at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture.
Hokuriku's Shika plant in Ishikawa, the closest nuclear power station to the quake’s epicentre, had already halted its two reactors before the quake for regular inspections and saw no impact from the quake, the agency said.
The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and devastated towns and triggered nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
Another quake, known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, hit western Japan in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people, mainly in the city of Kobe.
Monday's quake struck during the January 1 public holiday when millions of Japanese traditionally visit temples to mark the new year.
In Kanazawa, a popular tourist destination in Ishikawa, images showed the remnants of a collapsed gate strewn at the entrance of a shrine as anxious worshippers looked on.
Source: Reuters
週一，日本中部發生強烈地震，引發西海岸部分地區居民撤離的警告，建築物被摧毀，數千戶家庭斷電，該地區的旅行也受到干擾。
此次地震初步震級為 7.6 級，在日本海沿岸部分地區引發了約 1 公尺高的波浪，當局表示可能會出現更大的波浪。
日本氣象廳（JMA）向石川縣、新潟縣和富山縣沿海地區發布海嘯警報。 石川縣最初發布了重大海嘯警報，這是自 2011 年 3 月日本東北部發生地震和海嘯以來的首次警報，但隨後降級。
俄羅斯也在其遠東城市符拉迪沃斯托克和納霍德卡發布了海嘯警報。
政府高級發言人林吉正告訴記者，幾棟房屋被摧毀，軍隊已被派出協助救援行動，並補充說當局仍在評估受損程度。
JMA官員Toshihiro Shimoyama表示，該地區的地震活動已經醞釀了三年多，未來幾天可能會發生更強烈的地震。
地震發生後不久，日本首相岸田文雄在向媒體發表評論時也警告居民為更多災難做好準備。
岸田說：“居民需要對可能發生的進一步地震保持警惕，我敦促預計將發生海嘯的地區的人們盡快撤離。”
“跑步！” 電視螢幕上閃爍著亮黃色的警告，建議海岸特定地區的居民立即撤離家園。
當地媒體發布的圖片顯示，沿海城市珠洲的一棟建築物在一陣塵土中倒塌，輪島的一條道路出現巨大裂縫，驚慌失措的父母緊緊抓住孩子。 NHK 引述該市消防部門的消息稱，輪島至少有 30 棟建築物倒塌。
這場地震也震動了首都東京的建築物，距離對岸輪島約 500 公里。
公用事業提供者北陸電力表示，石川縣和富山縣有超過 36,000 個家庭斷電。
據電信營運商軟銀和 KDDI 網站稱，前往石川的高鐵服務已暫停，而石川和新潟的電話和網路服務也出現中斷。
日本全日空航空公司拒絕飛往富山和石川機場的飛機，而日本航空公司取消了飛往新潟和石川地區的大部分航班，當局表示石川機場之一已關閉。
日本核子管理機構表示，日本海沿岸的核電廠尚未確認有違規行為，其中包括關西電力位於福井縣的大井和高濱核電廠的五個活躍反應器。
該機構表示，位於石川縣的北陸志賀核電廠是距離震央最近的核電廠，該核電廠在地震發生前已暫停其兩個反應爐進行定期檢查，並且沒有受到地震的影響。
2011 年的地震和海嘯造成近 20,000 人死亡，城鎮被摧毀，並引發福島核子洩漏。
1995 年，日本西部發生了另一場地震，即阪神大地震，造成 6,000 多人死亡，主要發生在神戶市。
週一的地震發生在 1 月 1 日公眾假期期間，按照傳統，數百萬日本人會去寺廟慶祝新年。
在石川縣的熱門旅遊目的地金澤，圖像顯示神社入口處散落著倒塌大門的殘骸，焦急的信徒在一旁觀看。
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