Japan warns of huge earthquake | SVT News

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck on Thursday in the Nankai region, an area on the seabed off Japan's Pacific coast.

Now, for the first time ever, Japan has issued a warning of a high risk of a major earthquake in the region.

“Partly because we’ve seen that large earthquakes like the one on Thursday can be followed by very large earthquakes, as was the case with the big one in 2011,” says seismologist Björn Lund.

The warning only means there is an increased risk, not that a major earthquake is expected in the coming days. Authorities urged residents not to stockpile goods.

Fear of the “big” in Japan

The Nankaj Basin has experienced several powerful earthquakes in history, the last of which was in 1946. The 8.0-magnitude quake triggered a 6.9-metre tsunami that killed more than 1,300 people, according to Reuters.

Although earthquakes are common in Japan, there is fear of what some refer to as the “big one.”

“We have been told that the 'big event' will come one day for a long time, so I ask myself: is this the case?” Masayo Ushio tells the BBC in Yokohama.

The Japanese government has previously estimated that there is a high probability of a major earthquake, feared to reach 9.1 degrees, occurring in the region within the next 30 years.

It is impossible to predict.

Since there is no sure way to predict an earthquake, it is important to prepare for a possible one, according to Björn Lund.

– Japan is very prominent there, they have built for many years in a way that allows them to deal with major earthquakes, he says.

– Man he'll come, no doubt he will.

A potential massive earthquake off the coast of Japan could cause massive damage to infrastructure and kill hundreds of thousands of people, it is feared.