Tsunami warning issued by Japan Meteorological Agency as residents of Iwate prefecture are cleared from homes, though no damage or injuries reported
Evacuations were ordered for towns closest to the coast in Iwate prefecture in Japan early on Tuesday morning after a strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 was recorded off the country’s coast.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning and Japanese broadcaster NHK warned residents a one metre-high wave was expected to hit the coast of Iwate. The quake was measured at a depth of about six miles and shook much of north-east Japan even being felt in Tokyo, 430 miles away.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said there was no danger of a Pacific-wide tsunami.
NHK later said that small tsunamis of about 10 centimetres were recorded about 45 minutes after the quake hit and warned people to stay away from the shore.
Tohoku Electric Power Co and Tokyo Electric Power Co, both of which operate nearby nuclear plants, reported no irregularities at their facilities after the quake. Unlisted Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd also said there were no irregularities recorded at its nuclear fuel reprocessing facility or other plants in Aomori.
All 48 of Japan’s nuclear reactors remain offline after a March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster in north-east Japan.