tsunami

The earthquake hit off the coast of Fukushima prefecture, home to a large nuclear power plant where a 2011 earthquake caused a severe disaster.

Sompo's use of GEOX's image analyzer as a risk assessment tool for buildings will allow it to reflect the appropriate level of risk for those insured for natural disasters.

Initial reports suggested no mass casualties on the main island of Togatapu, but two people were reported missing and the capital Nuku'alofa was badly damaged.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid stated that Israel is exploring options to provide assistance through the Mashav aid agency.

An underwater volcano off Tonga erupted on Saturday triggering a tsunami warning for several South Pacific island nations, with footage on social media showing waves crashing into homes.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre estimated the magnitude at 7.7, placing it at a depth of 5 km (3.1 miles).

Tohoku Electric Power Co has halted the Onagawa nuclear plant and is checking for any irregularities, NHK said.

The ministry sent a message to cellphones around the country urging people to abandon coastal areas, though the ministry later said it was sent in error.

The research team suggests that what may have happened to cause the tsunami was a reverberation effect of an earthquake occurring along the Dead Sea Transform.