Japan’s government has issued its first-ever warning for a potential megaquake from the Nankai trough, a deep-sea trench southeast of the archipelago, after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kyushu on Thursday. The warning system, implemented several years ago, was triggered by the earthquake and anomalous plate shifts, prompting authorities to take precautions and prepare for possible evacuations.
The Nankai trough is a zone where the Philippine sea plate subducts beneath the Eurasian continental plate, and a megaquake could cause devastating damage exceeding that of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit the northeastern coast of Honshu. The 2011 disaster resulted in nearly 20,000 deaths and triggered a nuclear meltdown.
In response to the warning, bullet trains are running at reduced speeds, and national broadcaster NHK is displaying cautionary graphics. A semiconductor factory temporarily halted production, and local governments and companies are taking measures to prepare for a potential megaquake.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the advisory on Thursday, prompting central Japan Railway Co. to reduce bullet train speeds and regulatory bodies to alert nuclear power plants. Chipmaker Rohm Co. suspended operations, and Chubu Electric Power Co. set up a network to strengthen communication and took emergency safety measures at its Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant.
A government panel estimated in 2019 that a Nankai trough quake could result in over 230,000 deaths in the worst-case scenario. While Thursday’s earthquake did not cause major damage or a tsunami, authorities are taking precautions due to the history of big earthquakes following smaller tremors in the past.
Comments