SEOUL (WAM)

A tsunami reaching as high as 85 centimeters has been observed off South Korea's east coast in the aftermath of a powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake in Japan's Noto Peninsula, Yonhap News Agency quoted the weather agency as saying.

The quake struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year's Day, reportedly killing several people and prompting thousands to evacuate. A major tsunami warning was issued.

About four hours after the quake, a tsunami wave, measured at 85 cm at its highest point, was observed off the port of Mukho in the eastern coastal city of Donghae, 182 kilometers east of Seoul, at 8:35 pm on Monday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Between 8 pm and 9 pm on Monday, tsunamis of a smaller scale were also observed along the east coast, with the nearby cities of Sokcho and Samcheok experiencing waves as high as 45 cm and 33 cm, respectively. The county of Uljin along the lower part of the east coast saw the tsunami waves rise as high as 66 cm.

Following the Monday quake, the first tsunami was observed off South Korea's eastern coast in less than two hours, in the coastal city of Gangneung, where the waves were measured as high as 39 cm.