Key events
Gavin Blair
Japan warns people to stay away from shore along Pacific coast
Authorities in Japan have issued warnings for people to stay away from the shore and not go into the sea for most of the Pacific coastline.
Tsunami waves of up to 1 metre are being predicted to hit Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, at 10am local time, and then strike further south between 10.30am and 11.30am.
Prime minister Ishiba was informed of the earthquake at 08.37am, and a government emergency committee was established shortly afterwards to collect information and coordinate responses. Japan has boosted its entire disaster detection, warning and response infrastructure in the wake of the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
A kindergarten has been damaged as a result of the earthquake off Kamchatka, the regional governor has said, but so far no injuries have been reported.
Vladimir Solodov urged people to move away from the coastline saying the earthquake was the “strongest in decades” in the area.
Opening summary
A tsunami alert has been issued for Pacific islands, Russia and Japan after a magnitude 8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey says.
The quake was shallow and strong enough to cause waves or a tsunami, it said.
There was a tsunami threat to the Northern Mariana islands of Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan, it said.