A total of 21 quakes above 4 magnitude struck Japan after a major quake of 7.4 magnitude hit the island country earlier on Monday. Following the powerful earthquake, which struck the central part of Japan, tsunami waves of as high as 3 metres struck the west coast. The city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in central Japan, has observed tsunami of more than 1.2 meters, reported Japan's national broadcaster NHK.
The city of Toyama, in the neighboring Toyama Prefecture, reported a tsunami of 80 centimeters while the city of Kashiwazaki in Niigata Prefecture observed tsunami of 40 centimeters. Tsunami warnings were also issued for Niigata, Toyama, Yamagata, Fukui, and Hyogo prefectures, also along the Japan Sea Coast.
This is the first time the "major tsunami warning" has been issued since the 2011 earthquake in northeastern Japan. The warning is issued when a tsunami of 3 meters or more is expected.
The East Japan Railway Company has suspended the operation of the Akita Shinkansen line. The Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen lines have also been stopped services, the broadcaster reported. The Hokuriku Electric Power Company said both of the two reactors at the Shika nuclear power plant have been off line.
The earthquake has caused massive damage to properties as videos and pictures of collapsed houses, cracked roads, broken crockery sets, and tableware surfaced on social media. Around 33,500 households are currently without power, reported news agency AFP.
The Embassy of India in Japan has issued emergency contact numbers for Indian citizens.
Japan's Meteorological Agency has asked the people in coastal areas and along rivers where tsunami warnings have been issued to immediately evacuate to safe places. Shimoyama Toshihiro, an official from the Met department, said tsunami waves will hit repeatedly, so people should stay in safe areas until the warnings are lifted.
In areas hit by strong tremors, there is an increasing risk of landslides and houses collapsing, the official said, adding that earthquakes with an intensity reaching the top of the scale of 7 are possible for about a week, and especially for the next two or three days.
Meanwhile, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said that no damage had been detected at nuclear power plants.
Social media is flooded with videos and pictures of damage caused by the powerful earthquake in Japan.