Small tsunami waves hit northern Japan early Thursday following a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake thousands of kilometres away across the Pacific Ocean in Chile after officials issued an evacuation advisory for certain areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said waves of 40 centimetres (16 inches) were monitored in Kuji, Iwate prefecture, at 7:39 am (2239 GMT Wednesday) about an hour after the first 20-centimetre tsunami was recorded there.
Waves of up to 30 centimetres were also monitored in other areas of northern Japan, the agency said, adding that bigger waves could hit the coast later.
Earlier Thursday, Japan issued a tsunami advisory, saying waves of up to one metre (three feet) above normal sea levels could hit eastern Pacific coast regions, but were unlikely to cause damage.
Large areas of the coastline covered by the advisory were damaged by the 2011 quake and tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people and triggered a nuclear accident in Fukushima.
The agency advised people to leave the coast but said it did not expect damage from the waves.
"Get out of the water and leave the coast immediately," it said.
Local authorities issued evacuation advisories to more than 22,000 people living near the coastline in Iwate prefecture, public broadcaster NHK said.
Television footage showed people fleeing to nearby shelter in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, where more than 1,000 people were killed in the 2011 tsunami.
Before dawn a tsunami warning siren echoed over Ishinomaki, another city hit hard by the tsunami three years ago, and some local bus services were cancelled.
Authorities in Japan and many other countries at risk of tsunamis have well-developed early warning systems and tend to be cautious.
Television footage earlier showed officials in Kochi, southwestern Japan, closing a metal barrier to seal their local breakwater in preparation for possible high waves.
Tokyo Electric Power, which runs the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, suspended part of operations scheduled for early Thursday, a company spokesman said.
In 1960, a 9.5-magnitude earthquake in Chile sent a tsunami across the Pacific that killed more than 140 people in Japan.
"Indonesia warning"
Indonesia also said it could be hit by a small tsunami from the quake off Chile, which killed at least six people and caused nearly a million to evacuate their homes along the coast.
Waves of up to half a metre had been expected to hit the eastern region of Papua shortly after 2200 GMT Wednesday but officials said nothing had been detected so far.
"Until now there are no signs of even a small tsunami. We are monitoring closely," Frangky Ulus from the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System in Jayapura, Papua, told AFP.
Authorities in 19 provinces of Indonesia were alerted earlier as a precaution and people were urged to stay away from beaches.
Indonesia, which is frequently hit by earthquakes and has scores of active volcanoes, is particular vulnerable to even small tsunamis as many people on the archipelago of more than 17,000 islands live in poor, coastal communities.
More than 170,000 people were killed in Aceh province on western Sumatra island in 2004 when it was hit by a huge quake-triggered tsunami, which also left thousands dead in other countries around the Indian Ocean.
Northern Japan was rocked by a 5.6-magnitude quake early Thursday but there were no reports of damage or injuries and officials said there was no risk of a tsunami.
AFP
Thu Apr 03 2014
A fisherman jumps off a boat at the port of Iquique, in northern Chile, on April 2, 2014 after a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake hit off Chile's Pacific coast. --AFP Photo
35 laluan bas Rapid KL terlibat penyelarasan operasi bermula hari ini
Sebanyak 35 laluan atau 13 peratus daripada keseluruhan 264 laluan bas Rapid KL di Lembah Klang termasuk bas perantara Laluan Transit Aliran Massa (MRT) terlibat dalam penyelarasan operasi.
AWANI Ringkas: Kes Bunuh | Korporat | Net Zero 2050
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
AWANI Ringkas: Beli Kondo Mewah | Komoditi | UNESCO
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Pemecatan salah: Bekas pengurus menang saman terhadap BNM
Mahkamah Tinggi hari ini memutuskan bahawa pemecatan bekas pengurus Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) kerana menyertai aktiviti politik pada 2016 sebagai tidak sah dan menyalahi undang-undang.
AWANI 7:45 [29/03/2024] – Malaysia ada undang-undang | Sindiket seludup membabitkan Kastam | Pegawai polis lindungi kegiatan haram
Ketua Polis Negara beri amaran jangan ambil tindakan sendiri.
Rugi RM2 bilion akibat seludup.
SPRM jangka ada bos lebih senior lindungi kegiatan haram.
RM37.6 juta tampung kos tol percuma sempena Aidilfitri.
Rugi RM2 bilion akibat seludup.
SPRM jangka ada bos lebih senior lindungi kegiatan haram.
RM37.6 juta tampung kos tol percuma sempena Aidilfitri.
Guru wanita cabul pelajar direhatkan - Fadhlina
Guru wanita yang didakwa mencabul seorang pelajar lelaki dalam kes tular baru-baru ini, direhatkan sehingga siasatan kes itu selesai.
Umat Islam perlu pertahan tradisi ilmu, akliah Al-Azhar - PM
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menggesa umat Islam di negara ini untuk terus pertahankan tradisi ilmu serta akliah, yang dihidupkan oleh Universiti Al-Azhar (Al-Azhar), Mesir.
Haji furada: Syarikat pelancongan diperintah bayar RM634,000 kepada 25 bekas pelanggan
Kesemua 25 individu selaku plaintif berjaya membuktikan tuntutan terhadap syarikat itu yang dinamakan sebagai defendan dalam saman berkenaan.
Kerajaan Pahang pertimbang bonus raya penjawat awam - MB
Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail berkata pihaknya sedang meneliti kedudukan kewangan terlebih dahulu sebelum sebarang keputusan dimuktamad.
P. Pinang pantau rapi kapasiti Empangan Air Itam
PBAPP mengambil langkah awal sejak Februari, dengan melaksanakan Pelan Tindakan Empangan Air Itam 2024 (AIDAP 2024) menerusi beberapa strategi.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Perubahan iklim, El Nino punca kebakaran hutan Chile
Perubahan iklim dan fenomena El Nino adalah kunci orang ramai perlu tahu bahawa kebakaran hutan di Chile yang meragut nyawa 131 orang dalam sejarah bencana alam terburuk di Chile.
Kerajaan, pemimpin Amerika Latin ucap takziah pemergian Sebastian Pinera
Kerajaan dan para pemimpin di seluruh Amerika Latin menzahirkan ucapan takziah atas kematian bekas Presiden Chile, Sebastian Pinera dalam nahas helikopter.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Gempa bumi 6.2 magnitud gegar Argentina
Gempa bumi dilapor dirasai di bahagian tengah dan selatan negara jiran Chile.
5 maut, helikopter tentera udara Chile terhempas
Lima anggota Tentera Udara Chile terbunuh dalam nahas sebuah helikopter di selatan negara itu Isnin malam.
Chile lulus RUU waktu bekerja 40 jam seminggu
Ahli Parlimen Chile meluluskan rang undang-undang (RUU) untuk mengurangkan waktu bekerja daripada 45 jam kepada 40 jam seminggu.
Speedy Tigers tak rela cicir mata berdepan Chile
Katanya, untuk pergi lebih jauh, Malaysia perlu menundukkan Chile apabila kedua-dua pasukan bertembung hari ini.
Chile ratifikasi CPTPP, peluang besar untuk perniagaan Malaysia - Tengku Zafrul
Perjanjian itu akan berkuat kuasa untuk Chile, sebuah negara di bahagian barat Amerika Selatan, pada 21 Feb 2023.
Chile bergelut mengawal kebakaran hutan, 4,400 hektar kawasan musnah setakat ini
Setakat ini, anggota penyelamat masih berusaha untuk memadam kebakaran di lapan lagi kawasan.