The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, which operates Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, has halted the release of radioactive wastewater into the ocean after a tsunami warning was issued in response to an eight-point-eight magnitude earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East.

In a written press briefing Wednesday, the South Korean government confirmed that TEPCO suspended its ongoing 13th wastewater release around 9:05 a.m.

The government said Tokyo shared the information through a bilateral diplomatic channel and that it is also monitoring the situation at the Fukushima plant.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the tsunami advisory at 8:37 a.m., some 12 minutes after the quake hit in waters near Kamchatka, before changing its advisory to a warning for some regions, including Fukushima Prefecture, around 9:40 a.m.

The agency issues an advisory when a tsunami at least one meter high is forecast, with warnings issued when the tsunami is expected to be at least three meters high at its peak.
 
TEPCO said that while it is remotely keeping tabs on the water release facility, no abnormalities have been detected so far.