A powerful undersea earthquake Saturday afternoon sparked a tsunami warning for Hokkaido's Pacific and Sea of Okhotsk coasts, sending thousands fleeing to higher ground.The Meteorological Agency issued the warning shortly after the magnitude-8.2 quake occurred at 1:24 p.m. about 30 km below the seabed near the Kuril Trench, about 500 km east of Etorofu, one of the four islands held by Russia but claimed by Japan. There were no reports of casualties or major damage, and the warning was lifted at around 6 p.m. A tsunami advisory was also issued for a long stretch of Honshu's Pacific coast.
A total of about 110,000 residents in 24 municipalities, including Nemuro, Hokkaido, and Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, were advised to evacuate to higher ground. Some residents on Russian-held Kunashiri Island were also evacuated, an official said by phone in the afternoon, adding that no damage had been confirmed at that time.