The Chinese Embassy in Japan, the Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka and the Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka issued an urgent alert on Wednesday to Chinese nationals in Japan, warning of an impending tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake that struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

The Embassy of China in Japan reminded Chinese nationals and tourists in the affected areas to immediately stay away from the seaside and follow disaster prevention reminders to prepare for emergency evacuation "Especially if you feel an earthquake near the coast, you should immediately move to higher ground," said the embassy.

In case of emergency, please dial Japan's emergency assistance numbers immediately, and contact the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan for help, said the embassy, attaching Japan's emergency assistance numbers of medical services, police and maritime accidents, as well as the website of Japanese Meteorological Agency for weather information checking.

According to the Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka, the tsunami is expected to reach the coastal areas of Miyazaki, Oita, Kagoshima, and Okinawa prefectures — including surrounding islands — around Wednesday noon. The Chinese consulate urged Chinese citizens in these regions to closely monitor official tsunami warnings and disaster information, immediately evacuate from beaches, ports, and river mouths, and move to higher ground.

Individuals are advised to prepare for emergency situations and prioritize their personal safety, the consulate said. 

The Chinese Consulate-General in Nagoya also issued a warning on Wednesday, urging Chinese nationals in its jurisdiction to take precautions against a potential tsunami. According to the consulate, the affected areas include the southern part of Mie Prefecture and the offshore areas of Aichi Prefecture, with waves expected to reach up to three meters high.

The consulate advised Chinese residents and tourists in the region to closely monitor weather updates, obtain the latest warnings and evacuation information through official channels, and prepare for emergency evacuations. It strongly urged everyone to stay away from coastlines and prioritize their personal safety.

A 3- to 4-meter-high tsunami wave was observed in the Yelizovsky District of Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake, local authorities said, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Earlier, the peninsula was hit by a magnitude 8.7 earthquake, the strongest since 1952, according to the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Xinhua said.

Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for wide areas along the Pacific coast on Wednesday morning following the earthquake, per Xinhua.

The warning covers coastal regions from Hokkaido to Wakayama Prefecture, including areas such as Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Chiba, Ibaraki, Shizuoka, and parts of the Izu islands.

Authorities are urging residents in the affected regions to evacuate immediately to high ground or upper floors of sturdy buildings if elevated terrain is not nearby, Xinhua reported.

Global Times