Evacuation order for thousands of residents: Tsunami warning in Japan

Tokio – Japanese authorities are sounding the alarm after a seaquake of at least level 7.2: a tsunami warning has been issued for the area around the northern prefecture of Aomori. According to public broadcaster NHK, a crisis team has been set up in the Prime Minister’s office.

The earth shook at a depth of around 50 kilometers near the coastal city of Aomori. After the severe earthquake off the west coast of Japan, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) warns of possible tidal waves – up to 1000 kilometers from the epicenter. Russia could also be affected.

Waves up to three meters high

According to the Meteorological Service of Japan, with one Tsunami Waves up to three meters high can be expected. The broadcaster NHK has issued forecasts of tsunamis of 3 meters for the provinces in the north and up to one meter in the outlying areas such as Fukushima.

Thousands of people have to flee

The authorities issued a decree after the earthquake Evacuation instructions for several coastal towns in the provinces of Aomori, Iwate in the north of the main island of Honshu and the province of Hokkaido on the island of the same name. Thousands of people are being asked to leave the region immediately and seek safety.

According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, a warning was also issued for the provinces of Miyagi and Fukushima.

First wave hits Japan

The first wave hit the port of Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori Prefecture. According to the Japanese meteorological agency JMA, it was 40 centimeters high. A few kilometers further south, several people are said to have been injured in a hotel in the coastal town of Hachinohe, reports the Japanese broadcaster NHK. It is unclear whether they were injured during the evacuation of the building or by a wave.

Meanwhile, new waves were spotted off Aomori Province, reports the Japanese disaster warning app UN_NERV. This means: the big waves can still come.

Nuclear power plants in view

The operators of several Japanese nuclear power plants gave the all-clear after initial inspections. Tohoku Electric Power announced that there were “no irregularities” at the Onagawa nuclear power plant.

The Japanese government said it was currently getting an overview of the situation. More than 20,000 people died in a tsunami in Fukushima. Due to the natural disaster, a core meltdown occurred at the local nuclear power plant – massive amounts of radioactivity were released.