Workers were evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan on Wednesday after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's far east, prompting tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) confirmed that all staff had been moved to safety, with no abnormalities detected at the site. The facility was devastated by a tsunami in 2011, leading to a meltdown in three reactors and a major radioactive release.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Hayashi Yoshimasa, stated that no irregularities, damage, or injuries had been reported following the latest earthquake. The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded its tsunami warning, forecasting waves of up to three metres along the northern and eastern coasts, with a major tsunami possible for more than a day.
Authorities ordered evacuations along much of the eastern seaboard, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged residents to move to higher ground. A task force was established to coordinate the response, with instructions to provide accurate information to the public.
The US Tsunami Warning System also issued alerts, warning of hazardous waves exceeding three metres for Russia and Ecuador, and waves of one to three metres for Japan, Hawaii, Chile, and the Solomon Islands. Smaller waves were forecast for the western coast of the United States.
