Japan Quake : Taiwan says tsunami hit without damage

Waves around 10 centimetres (four inches) high hit Taiwan’s east and northeast coasts in the evening, the central weather bureau said.

TAIPEI: Taiwanese authorities said Friday that minor tsunamis set off by a massive quake in Japan reached the island’s coastline without causing any damage.

Waves around 10 centimetres (four inches) high hit Taiwan’s east and northeast coasts in the evening, the central weather bureau said.

The bureau said it did not expect more and bigger waves but will only lift the warning when the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center does so.

Taiwan’s central emergency response centre told AFP that the waves had caused no damage.

Earlier on Friday, schools and offices in several coastal cities were closed while coast guards patrolled ports instructing fishermen to take shelter on land in preparation for the tsunamis, officials said.

Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou voiced concern over quake damage in Japan and pledged to send rescue teams if necessary.

“We need to stay vigilant. Disaster prevention is better than disaster relief,” he told reporters.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry issued a travel warning against four Japanese cities, as the death toll from the massive 8.9-magnitude quake reached 32, according to Japanese press reports.

AFP

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