7.6-magnitude earthquake hits Japan

A powerful earthquake struck central Japan yesterday, destroying scores of buildings, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and prompting residents to evacuate some coastal areas.

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of about 1 metre along Japan's west coast and neighbouring South Korea, with authorities saying larger waves could follow.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. A major tsunami warning - the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan - was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded.

Russia and North Korea also issued tsunami warnings for some areas.

Houses have been destroyed, fires have broken out and army personnel have been dispatched to help with rescue operations, government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding that authorities were still assessing the damage.

The extent of any injuries and deaths was unclear. Two people recovered from quake debris in Ishikawa prefecture were unresponsive, public broadcaster NHK reported.

More strong quakes in the area, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, could occur over coming days, JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.

In comments to the press shortly after the quake struck, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also warned residents to prepare for more disasters.

Images carried by local media showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the city of Suzu and a huge crack in a road in Wajima where panicked-looking parents clutched their children. There have been reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings in Wajima, a town of around 30,000 known for its lacquerware, and a major blaze has engulfed several buildings.

The quake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo, some 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast.

More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, areas where temperatures where set to drop to near freezing overnight, according to utilities provider Hokuriku Electric Power 9505.T. Telecoms operators also reported phone and internet outages in some areas.

Forty train lines and two high-speed rail services to the quake-hit area halted operations, while six expressways were closed and one of Ishikawa's airports was forced to shut due to a crack in the runway, transport authorities said.

Japanese airline ANA 9202.T turned back planes headed to airports in Toyama and Ishikawa, while Japan Airlines 9201.T cancelled most of its services to the Niigata and Ishikawa regions.