The Japanese government said it has not yet received reports of abnormalities at nuclear power plants following a major earthquake that shook central Japan on the afternoon of January 1.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that so far there have been no abnormalities at the Shika nuclear power plant (in Ishikawa prefecture) and other plants.
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida asked people in areas at high risk of tsunamis to urgently evacuate.
At least 32,500 homes in Ishikawa Prefecture have lost power. A major tsunami warning has been issued for central Ishikawa Prefecture and coastal areas of Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Fukui and Hyogo Prefectures. The Japan Meteorological Agency and the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center have warned that hazardous tsunami waves of up to 5 meters (16 feet) could hit within 300 kilometers of the epicenter along the Japanese coast.
The earthquake, with an initial magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, shook a large area of the Japanese coast, Kyodo news agency reported. Tsunami warnings were also issued for coastal areas of Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Fukui and Hyogo prefectures.
* South Korean authorities warned of rising sea levels in many areas on the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula after the aforementioned major earthquake.
According to Yonhap, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that the tsunami caused by the earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture and neighboring provinces of Japan could cause sea levels to rise off the east coast of South Korea. The KMA warned that tsunami waves could appear off the eastern city of Gangneung before 6:29 p.m. and the southeastern town of Pohang at 7:17 p.m. The KMA also estimated the initial tsunami height at 50 centimeters but could increase as it reached the shore.
According to a VNA correspondent in Japan, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan is contacting to determine information related to the safety of Vietnamese people living, studying and working in localities affected by the earthquake that occurred on the afternoon of January 1 in Ishikawa province and many neighboring provinces.
Mr. Phan Tien Hoang, First Secretary and Head of the Vietnam Labor Management Board at the Vietnamese Embassy, said that after the earthquake, the board immediately contacted the authorities of the disaster-affected localities where Vietnamese workers work. According to initial information, some nursing homes in Niigata Prefecture where Vietnamese trainees work have been evacuated to highlands to take refuge in case of tsunami risk. In addition, the Vietnam Labor Management Board is confirming information related to Vietnamese workers in other areas, especially Ishikawa Prefecture, where the tsunami risk is highest.
The consular section of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan is also contacting localities affected by the earthquake to confirm information related to the safety of Vietnamese people in these areas, and is ready to carry out citizen protection work if necessary.
VNA
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