An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 hit has hit northern Japan, public broadcaster NHK says.
“All residents must evacuate immediately to higher ground,” NHK said after the quake hit the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4:10pm local time (07:10 GMT).
It warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 meters (16.5 feet).
Hokuriku Electric Power said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants.
A spokesperson for Kansai Electric Power (9503.T) said there were currently no abnormalities at its nuclear power plants but the company was monitoring the situation closely, Reuter reports.
Naija News recalls that a huge earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, devastating towns and triggering nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
[NaijaNews]