No abnormalities reported in nuclear plants after 7.4 quake: Japan

New Delhi: Japanese government Monday said no abnormalities reported in nuclear plants after quake measuring 7.4 hit the northeastern or central part of Japan.

It has been confirmed that there are no abnormalities at Shika nuclear power plant (in Ishikawa) and other stations as of now," government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

The area includes a nuclear plant. Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator, said it was checking for problems but there were no immediate reports of any irregularities.

Japan is an extremely quake-prone nation. In March 2011, a major quake and tsunami caused meltdowns at a nuclear plant.

The first day of the 2024 brought horrific news from Japan as the northern part of the country was hit by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake triggering tsunami alert on Monday.

The Japan Meterological Agency reported a quake hitting Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, one of them measuring a preliminary magnitude of 7.4.

The Tsunami Warning was soon upgraded to a "major Tsunami warning" stating that waves of up to 5m are expected.

"Those near coastal areas, rivers, or lakes should evacuate to higher ground immediately," the warning said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres (16.5 feet) and urged people to flee to high land or a top of a nearby building as quickly as possible.

Reports of damage were not immediately available.

Several unverified videos showing the impact of earthquake started doing rounds on the social media. 

WATCH: 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits western Japan. Reports of damage coming in pic.twitter.com/ClmtBkcuDj

— news and ufology (@newsandufology) January 1, 2024