Image source, NHK via EVN

       Image caption, Japan has issued a major tsunami warning after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the central region

       By Kelly Ng

       BBC News

       Japan has issued a major tsunami warning after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the central region.

       Residents in the coastal Noto area in Ishikawa prefecture were asked to "evacuate immediately to higher ground," national broadcaster NHK said.

       Authorities have warned of waves as high as 5m in Noto.

       They also issued tsunami warnings for neighbouring Niigata and Toyama prefectures, where they said waves could reach 3m.

       Follow our live coverage of the tsunami warning in Japan.

       Public television flashed "EVACUATE" in big letters, urging residents to flee to higher ground despite the winter weather.

       People have also posted videos of their homes and subway trains shaking during the earthquake.

       A series of quakes hit the Noto region in the afternoon, starting with a 5.7 magnitude tremor at 16:06 local time (07:06 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. This was followed by the 7.6-magnitude quake and at least five more tremors within an hour.

       Image source, NHK via EVN

       Image caption, Authorities have warned of waves as high as 5m in Noto

       Japan's government spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, has warned residents to prepare for further quakes.

       An NHK presenter urged affected viewers to seek higher ground: "We realise your home, your belongings are all precious to you, but your lives are important above everything else. Run to the highest ground possible."

       The country's largest nuclear power operator, Kansai Electric, said there had been "no abnormality" in nuclear plants in the affected area.

       South Korea's meteorological agency has warned that tsunami waves up to 0.3m could hit the eastern coast of the country between 18:29 to 19:17 local time.

       In 2011, Japan was hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a resulting tsunami which tore through its north-eastern coastal communities, killing almost 18,000 people and displacing tens of thousands. The tsunami triggered a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant, causing the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

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       Related Topics

       Asia Tsunamis Japan Earthquakes