Russia, South Korea and North Korea issued tsunami warnings in areas bordering the Sea of Japan, asking people to evacuate to safety.
"A tsunami could affect several areas along the western coast of Sakhalin Island. Response teams are ready to deal with the consequences of a tsunami," the department in charge of the Far East region of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement today.
A tsunami warning has also been issued for the Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions, with the highest wave heights expected to reach 1.2 metres. Russian officials say local warning systems have been activated and people are being evacuated to safety.
Vladivostok city authorities have asked fishermen to "urgently return to shore".
A wharf on Russia's Sakhalin Island in 2023. Photo: RIA Novosti
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) also warned of rising water levels on the country's east coast, saying the tsunami reached a height of 0.5 meters but could rise higher when it hit the shore, adding that the waves could continue for 24 hours.
Gangwon Province in the east sent text messages to residents in six coastal cities and towns, telling them to stay away from the coast and evacuate to higher ground. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Samcheok city officials also advised residents to move to areas higher than three stories for safety.
Yonhap news agency reported on the same day that North Korean state radio had issued a tsunami alert for the east coast, warning that waves as high as 2.08 meters could sweep across the country's coastline.
The moves were made after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, at 4:10 p.m. (2:10 p.m. Hanoi time).
Tsunami warning after earthquake in Noto, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan on January 1. Graphics: Japan Times
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning for Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama, Yamagata, Ishikawa, Fukui and Hyogo prefectures, urging people to quickly leave coastal areas, with tsunami waves of 3-5 meters high predicted to hit these areas.
The major tsunami warning issued for the Noto Peninsula area is the highest level, equivalent to the warning issued after the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
Vu Anh (According to RIA Novosti, Yonhap, Reuters )
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