Pakistanis 'safe' after powerful earthquake hits Japan

Pakistan's ambassador to Japan Raza Bashir Tarar has confirmed that all the Pakistanis in Japan are "safe so far", hours after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the coastal nation’s central areas.

“A hotline has been set up for the Pakistanis stuck in trouble,” the envoy said in a statement, as a series of powerful earthquakes damaged homes, closed highways, and prompted authorities to urge people to run to higher ground.

The ambassador also asked expatriates living in the quake-hit coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama to act in accordance with the instructions of the local administration.

The embassy, through the post, apprised that the Japanese government had issued tsunami warnings in Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama, and their adjacent areas after a powerful earthquake struck the country.

“The Pakistani consulate in Tokyo is keeping an eye on the situation. May Allah (SWT) keep us all in His protection. Aa’meen,” the embassy added.

A major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4:10pm (0710 GMT), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Japan’s weather agency reported a succession of 21 quakes of 4.0 magnitude or stronger hitting the nation's central region in just over 90 minutes.

Tsunami waves as high as 1.2 meters (four feet) hit Wajima port in Ishikawa prefecture at 4:21pm (0721 GMT), about 10 minutes after the strongest jolt, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

"All residents must evacuate immediately to higher ground," national broadcaster NHK said after the quakes.

Hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 300 kilometres (190 miles) of the quake's epicentre along the coast, on the Sea of Japan side of Japan's main island of Honshu, the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

But a much higher tsunami of five metres was expected to arrive in Noto in the same region, the JMA said.

The Japanese government said it was still assessing what damage had been caused and whether there had been any casualties.

Around 33,500 households around the epicentre, in Toyama, Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures, were without power, local utilities said.

Television reports showed a building on fire in Wajima city in Ishikawa and AFP journalists said houses shook in central Tokyo.

A video clip posted on social media platform X showed lines of wooden houses toppled by the quakes, with walls and roofs caved in.

"This is the Matsunami district of Noto. We are in a horrible situation. Please come and help us. My town is in a horrible situation," said a person heard in the video.

Sakhalin island and Vladivostok in Russia's far east were on "alert" due to a possible tsunami risk after the quakes in Japan, officials said.