Authorities issue tsunami warning – people included

A severe earthquake shook Japan on Monday, and buildings in Tokyo also shook. A tsunami warning has been issued and people should seek safety.

Update from January 1st, 3:15 p.m.: The earthquake in Japan left several people trapped in buildings. At least six people are believed to be trapped in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, the newspaper reports The Japan Times. A major fire broke out in the city after the quake. 32,500 households in Ishikawa are currently without power.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has largely given the all-clear regarding dangerous tidal waves. “The tsunami threat is now largely over,” the warning center based in the US state of Hawaii said on Monday. Previously, some coastal areas had been hit by tidal waves a meter high. The Japanese meteorological agency had warned of a tsunami wave up to five meters high for the Noto peninsula. The Meteorological Agency of Japan continues to warn of tsunamis, but has downgraded the warning level from the highest to a lower warning level.

South Korea issues tsunami warning: severe earthquake in Japan

There were also warnings of tsunami waves in South Korea due to the earthquake. The eastern province of Gangwon warned residents in several cities and counties of tsunamis via text messages, the national news agency Yonhap reported. People near the coast should therefore move to higher areas to safety. After a series of smaller tidal waves in the early evening (local time), the weather office later registered a tsunami wave of 67 centimeters off the coastal city of Donghae. The agency warned that subsequent waves in the Sea of ​​Japan (Korean: East Sea) could reach more dangerous levels. Gangwon could face tidal waves in a period of more than 24 hours. Nothing was initially known about any damage.

Update from January 1st, 12 p.m.: The earthquake off Japan also has an impact on other countries, apparently now too Russia has issued its first tsunami warnings.

Several houses collapsed – first reports of damage in Japan

Update from January 1st, 11:30 a.m.: As Japanese television stations reported on Monday evening (local time), several houses collapsed in the affected regions on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. Individual streets and parking lots were torn up, and a fire broke out in a factory. In some regions, the first tidal waves of more than one meter were recorded soon after the tremor. The population was asked to get to safety.

The power went out in 36,000 households in the particularly affected Ishikawa Prefecture and other prefectures. There were reports of burst water pipes. The weather authority warned of possible further strong earthquakes for the coming week. The tremor occurred at 4:10 p.m. (8:10 CET) on New Year's Day at a very shallow depth and had a magnitude of 7.6. The epicenter was in the Noto region on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. There were aftershocks.

Videos already show severe damage – natural disaster hits Japan

Update from January 1st, 10:50 a.m.: There are still no official reports of injuries or serious damage, but videos from social networks already show dire conditions on site in Japan. Numerous buildings were damaged by the earthquake. It is not yet possible to predict how badly the natural disaster has hit the country. A tsunami warning is currently still in effect for many regions.

Update from January 1st, 10:20 a.m.: As the Reuters news agency reports, citing the state news agency Tass, Russia is now also said to have published its first tsunami warnings. These apply to the cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka. Accordingly, a warning should also apply to the west coast of the Russian island of Sakhalin. The first residents are said to have already been evacuated here.

Large parts of Japan shaken by earthquake – Apparently no irregularities in nuclear power plants

Update from January 1st, 10:03 a.m.: A tsunami warning is still in effect in large parts of Japan, but there are currently no reports of damage or injuries. The national meteorological agency warned on Monday of a three-meter-high tsunami. Ishikawa Prefecture was particularly affected. The tsunami could be particularly strong there; waves up to five meters high could hit the coast here. According to the government, there were no irregularities at nuclear power plants in the region. The power went out in thousands of houses. The government set up a crisis team.

According to preliminary information, the tremor at 4:10 p.m. (8:10 CET) had a magnitude of 7.6. Initially it was given as 7.4. According to the weather authority, the epicenter was at a shallow depth in the Noto region.

Tsunami warnings were also issued for coastal areas of Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Fukui and Hyogo prefectures. In some regions, the first tidal waves were recorded soon after the quake. The government also called on people in the affected areas to seek safety. The operation of high-speed trains was temporarily stopped.

Compared to the tsunami disaster in March 2011, the tsunami waves this time were significantly smaller. At that time, a magnitude 9 seaquake triggered a huge tsunami that devastated large areas in the northeast of the archipelago and killed around 20,000 people. A catastrophe occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Tsunami warning after earthquake – entire coast warned

Update from January 1st, 9:30 a.m.: Like, among other things The Japan Times reported that the region is currently being shaken by numerous aftershocks. Accordingly, a tsunami warning is being issued along the entire coast.

Update from January 1st, 9:19 a.m.: At first it was just a warning, but now the first tsunami waves have actually made landfall in Japan. That reports Focus.de citing the country's meteorological agency. The first tsunami eruptions can also be seen on videos on social networks. How Focus.de further reported, the TV program on site is said to have been interrupted and all TV channels are currently warning Japanese residents about the tsunami.

Original message from January 1st: Tokyo – A strong earthquake has shaken parts of Japan. The National Meteorological Agency issued a warning on Monday of a three-meter-high tsunami along the Sea of ​​Japan coast. Buildings in the area around the capital Tokyo also began to sway. There were initially no reports of damage or injuries.

Strong earthquake shakes Japan: authorities issue tsunami warning

As it became known on Monday, the earthquake was estimated to have a magnitude of 7.4 and the focus was on the Japanese main island of Honshu. A spokeswoman for the Japanese television station NHK continuously and urgently urged residents to seek safe
ty on higher ground. People on site show the dramatic minutes on numerous videos on social networks. It was only in the summer that a strong earthquake caused Tokyo to tremble.

The quake occurred on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Many people will still remember March 11, 2011 in particular. A devastating tsunami caused by an earthquake rolled towards the coast of Japan, killing around 20,000 people