A tsunami hit the east coast of South Korea after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck central Japan on January 1, the Korea Meteorological Agency said.
Officials also warned that there could be more large waves in the coming hours. The first tsunami that hit the South Korean coast was 67 centimeters high.
A house damaged by an earthquake in Wajima, Japan. Photo: Kyodo
South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Gangwon Province has warned residents to take precautions and evacuate to higher ground.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted North Korean state radio as saying the country also issued a tsunami warning along the North Korean coast, with waves possibly reaching more than 2 meters high.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry's Far East regional department said in a statement: "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."
A tsunami warning has also been issued for the Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions, with the highest wave heights reaching 1.2 metres. Local warning systems have been activated and people are being evacuated to safety.
Authorities in the port city of Vladivostok in the Primorsk region have advised local vessels to “urgently return to shore”.
In Japan, earthquake mechanism expert Hirata Naoshi of the University of Tokyo warned that strong tremors could continue and endanger buildings that have not collapsed in previous earthquakes.
Van Tran (according to Kyodo, Reuters)
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