By Deutsche Welle
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Japan on Monday left at least six people injured, but did not cause serious damage, authorities announced Tuesday. They have warned the population of large areas of the country to remain alert to the possibility of a “megaearthquake”.
At 08:00 local time (01:00 GMT on Tuesday), six people were injured, two of them seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) said in a statement, which did not report any fires or damage to important infrastructure.
The earthquake occurred on Monday at 4:53 p.m. local time (07:53 GMT) in Pacific waters.off the northern coast of Iwate Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The JMA also issued a “special advisory” warning of an increased risk of a megaearthquake, an earthquake of magnitude equal to or greater than 8.0.
The warning is not a prediction
The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance of a megaquake in the next week, compared with 0.1% under normal conditions, following the quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches.
The authorities clarified that the warning was not a predictionbut urged residents of 182 locations along the northeast coast to increase their level of preparedness without disrupting their daily lives.
“The probability of a new, powerful, large-magnitude earthquake (…) is considered relatively higher than usual“He indicated. This was the second warning of this type for the region in recent months.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes, and to check their food supplies and emergency backpacks so they can evacuate immediately in the event of a mega-earthquake. “The government will do everything possible in case of emergency,” he told the press.
Japan remains traumatized by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami and left some 18,500 dead or missing.
