Politics | Apr 13

North Korean missile prompts brief evacuation order in Japan

Apr 13 (Al Jazeera) - The Japanese government has reassured citizens on its second largest island, Hokkaido, that a missile from North Korea is no longer likely to land on or around its territory, lifting a previously issued evacuation order.

The Japanese Coast Guard later issued a statement to clarify that the missile had already fallen and that no distress signals had been received from ships near the northern Japanese island.

The message comes shortly after the government warned residents to take cover or evacuate on Thursday morning, following reports that North Korea may have fired a ballistic missile in its direction.

“Evacuate immediately. Evacuate immediately,” the government indicated in its warning, encouraging residents to otherwise go inside or underground for shelter.

A possible strike was projected for around 8 a.m. local time (23:00 GMT), according to the government. The missile was believed to be launched around 7:25 a.m. (22:25 GMT), according to local media, with the satellite-based J-Alert warning system broadcasting about 20 minutes later. ...continue reading

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