The death toll in Japan's New Year's Day earthquake surged from 6 to 48 within a span of a single day as rescue personnel rushed to find survivors trapped inside collapsed homes and buildings near the epicenter.
The warning prompted urgent evacuations along the coastal areas of Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama, and Yamagata prefectures. NHK reported waves exceeding 1.2 meters reaching the Wajima Port on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa.
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 rocks a wide area on the Sea of Japan coast, disrupting the festive mood of New Year celebrations, with a large tsunami warning issued for the central prefecture of Ishikawa.