Japan issued tsunami warnings and ordered evacuations Monday after a series of powerful earthquakes triggered a fire and left several people trapped under rubble on the west coast of its main island.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than a dozen earthquakes off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4 p.m., one with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6.
It issued a severe tsunami warning for Ishikawa and other lower-level warnings and advisories for the rest of the west coast of the country’s main island, Honshu, as well as for its northernmost island, Hokkaido.
State broadcaster NHK TV warned of torrents of water that could reach 5 meters (16.5 feet) high and urged people to flee to high ground or the rooftops of nearby buildings as quickly as possible.
The network indicated that waves caused by the tsunami could continue to reach the coast and warnings were still being issued hours after the initial alert. Several aftershocks from the earthquakes were also recorded in the area.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said it was critical for those in coastal areas to stay away from the approaching tsunami.
“Every minute counts. Please go to a safe area immediately,” he said.
A tsunami about 3 meters (about 10 feet) high was expected to reach Niigata and other prefectures on Japan’s west coast, and waves were confirmed to have already reached part of the coast.
At least six houses were damaged by the quakes and people were trapped inside. In the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, a fire broke out, and more than 30,000 homes were without power, Hayashi said.
No fatalities or injuries have been confirmed so far, the spokesman added, noting that the situation was not yet unclear. The military was participating in rescue efforts, he said.
Images broadcast by Japanese media showed people running down the street and reddish smoke coming from a fire in a residential neighborhood. A crowd, including a woman with a baby on her back, could be seen standing next to huge cracks in the pavement of a street.
Bullet trains were suspended in the area. In addition, stretches of highway were cut off and some water pipes burst, according to NHK. Some cell phone services in the region were down.
The Meteorological Agency said in a press conference broadcast nationwide that more powerful earthquakes could occur in the coming week, especially in the next two to three days.
According to the agency, more than a dozen powerful earthquakes were detected in the area that could cause landslides or house collapses.
Takashi Wakabayashi, who works at a grocery store in Ishikawa Prefecture, said some of the goods fell off the shelves, but noted that the biggest problem was the large number of people who went to the store to stock up on bottled water, rice balls and bread.
“We have three times more customers than usual,” he said.
Tsunami warnings were also issued for parts of North Korea and Russia. Russian authorities activated a tsunami warning for Sakhalin Island and warned that parts of the island’s western coast could be affected by the surge.
In nearby South Korea, the meteorological agency urged residents of some eastern coastal towns to be alert for possible changes in sea level. Waves caused by a tsunami that arrive later may be larger than the initial waves.
Japan’s government set up a special emergency center to gather information about the quakes and tsunami and quickly relay it to residents to ensure their safety, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
Kishida reiterated the warning to immediately evacuate affected areas.
Japan is a country tremendously prone to earthquakes. In March 2011, a powerful earthquake and tsunami caused thousands of deaths and meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. According to the government spokesman, nuclear power plants in the affected area reported no irregularities on Monday.