Japan issues evacuation orders after powerful Philippine earthquake

Authorities in Japan ordered the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents after a powerful earthquake near the Philippines triggered tsunami warnings across parts of the Pacific region.

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported on June 8 that evacuation orders were issued in Mie Prefecture, affecting more than 42,000 people in the city of Shima.

“42,201 households and 42,611 people in the city of Shima” were instructed to evacuate, according to the report.

Evacuations were also ordered in parts of Kagoshima, Aichi, and Shizuoka prefectures, as well as in some southern cities including Naha and Koti, NHK added.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for Japan’s Pacific coastline stretching from Okinawa to Ibaraki prefectures, urging residents near coastal areas to move inland immediately.

The agency said the earthquake, which occurred near the Philippines, had a magnitude of 8.2.

Tsunami waves of up to 20 centimetres were recorded in several locations, including Chichijima Island south of Tokyo and Kushimoto Town in Wakayama Prefecture. Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima also recorded waves of around 10 centimeters.

Elsewhere, only minor wave activity of a few centimeters was observed.

By Sabina Mammadli