Japan lifts tsunami warnings after powerful Russia quake; 1 killed, over 2 million evacuated

TOKYO(Japan): The Japan Meteorological Agency on Thursday lifted all tsunami warnings and advisories issued for Japan’s Pacific coast following a powerful earthquake that struck off Russia’s Far East a day earlier, as reported by NHK World.

The 8.7-magnitude earthquake hit near the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia around 8:25 am on Wednesday. The quake occurred under the sea at a depth of about 20.7 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.

Soon after, tsunami warnings were issued for coastal regions from northern Hokkaido to western Wakayama Prefecture. The first tsunami waves reached eastern Hokkaido around 10:30 am. The highest waves, measuring 1.3 meters, were recorded in Kuji city of Iwate Prefecture before 2 pm, according to NHK World.

By Wednesday night, the warnings were downgraded to advisories, and by Thursday morning (around 7:45 am IST), the JMA confirmed that there were no areas under tsunami alert. However, some coastal spots continued to record waves up to 0.7 metres.

Authorities issued evacuation orders for over two million people living in coastal areas. Many people rushed to higher ground, especially in regions that were badly hit during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, as per NHK World.

Amid the evacuation efforts, a 58-year-old woman died in Mie Prefecture when her car fell from a cliffside road. Local officials believe she was trying to flee to a safer location as the tsunami warning was in effect at the time.

Apart from this, at least 11 people were taken to the hospital after showing signs of heatstroke. Many were sheltering in extremely hot weather, with temperatures rising to nearly 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, according to Al Jazeera.

So far, no major infrastructure damage has been reported from either the earthquake or the tsunami waves. Authorities have advised people to stay alert for aftershocks and remain cautious in high-risk coastal zones.

Japanese officials and the US Geological Survey are continuing to monitor seismic activity in the region. (ANI)