Road cracks caused by an earthquake is seen in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan January 1, 2024, in this photo released by Kyodo. (Kyodo via REUTERS)
TOKYO, Jan 1 (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, triggering warnings for residents to evacuate some coastal areas, knocking out power to thousands of homes and disrupting flights and rail services to the affected region.
The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of around 1 metre along parts of the Sea of Japan coast with a larger wave expected, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama, marking the first major warnings since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.
A major tsunami warning means there is a possibility of waves of more than 3…
