NEW DELHI: Japan issued a number of tsunami alerts on Monday after the country was hit by a series of strong earthquakes – one said to be of a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale.
Keeping the situation in mind, the Indian Embassy in Tokyo has set up an emergency control room to provide information on the earthquake and threat of a tsunami.
There are said to be more than 46,260 Indian nationals living in Japan. Families seeking information on them back home in India or even those seeking assistance within Japan can get in touch with the control room.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked people to follow evacuation orders closely.
The quake led to high tides in the sea some of which were around one metre high along the sea off Japan, according to reports. A tsunami warning indicates that these waves could rise up to 3 metres high (which is a little less than 10 feet).
The Japan Meterological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for coastal areas around Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. These are the first warnings since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck parts of north eastern Japan.
Some houses have been damaged in the areas impacted by the quake and rescue operations are underway.