Japan issues tsunami alert after series of strong quakes off its western coast

 Japan issued tsunami alerts on Monday after a series of strong quakes shook western areas.

The Japan Meterological Agency reported a quake hitting Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, one of them measuring a preliminary magnitude of 7.4.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres (16.5 feet) and urged people to flee to high land or a top of a nearby building as quickly as possible.

Reports of damage were not immediately available.