Japan issues tsunami warning after massive ocean quake

Residents along Japan’s Pacific coast were told to flee an impending tsunami after a powerful earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.1 hit the Kuril islands north of Japan today.

The quake struck about 250 miles east of the Etorofu islands north of Japan at 11.15am Irish time, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, which issued a tsunami warning 15 minutes later.