Malaysia Urges Vigilance After Japan Issues Tsunami Advisory

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is closely monitoring the situation following a tsunami advisory issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency after a powerful earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday.

In a media statement, the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) said that there are currently no reports of Malaysians affected by the situation.

“However, all Malaysians in the affected areas are strongly advised to remain vigilant, follow safety instructions issued by local authorities, and stay updated through official channels,” the ministry said.

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Wisma Putra also advised Malaysians residing in or travelling through the affected areas to register with the embassy and remain in close contact to ensure timely assistance if necessary.

The Foreign Ministry said Malaysians requiring consular assistance can contact the Embassy of Malaysia in Tokyo at 20-16, Nanpeidai-cho, Shibuya-ku, 150-0036 Tokyo, Japan, or reach the embassy by phone at +81-3-3476-3840 / emergency: +81-80-4322-3366 or email mwtokyo@kln.gov.my / consular.tyo@kln.gov.my.

In a further precautionary step, Wisma Putra is also closely monitoring the after-effects of the earthquake on other Pacific-facing nations, including the United States (particularly Hawaii), Mexico, the eastern seaboard of China, and the Philippines, as tsunami alerts and precautionary measures may be issued in these regions.

Japan on Wednesday issued a tsunami warning for the country’s Pacific coast after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the morning, with waves of up to 50 centimetres recorded in parts of northern and eastern Japan, Kyodo News Agency reported. 

The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of tsunami waves of up to three metres reaching areas stretching from Hokkaido in northern Japan to Wakayama Prefecture in the west and the Ogasawara Islands in the south. The warning could remain in effect for the entire day, the agency said.

The quake occurred at 8.24 am, approximately 120 kilometres east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of about 20 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.

Tsunami waves measuring up to four metres were detected off southeastern Kamchatka, with several people injured, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

-- BERNAMA