Japan’s 'Megaquake' Warning: Once-In-A-Century Quake May Cause 3 Lakh Deaths
The long-anticipated megaquake, which roughly occurs once every 100-150 years, could directly impact around 1% of Japan’s population.
About 3,00,000 people could die in the event of a potential ‘mega’ earthquake off the Pacific coast in Japan, a government report warned on Monday. The potential earthquake, dubbed as a ‘megaquake’, could cause $1.81 trillion damage to Japan’s economy, putting its GDP under significant pressure.
The megaquake could directly impact around 1% of Japan’s population. The Japanese government released an updated report about the megaquake, considering factors like inflation. Initially, the economic damage was expected to be 214.2 trillion yen, but has been revised to 270.3 trillion yen in the new report.
This revision accounts for aspects like inflation and updated terrain and ground data, which have expanded the anticipated flood areas, the report added.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone zones in the world, vulnerable to high magnitude quakes. The country is located in the geographical region described as the “ring of fire” arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches. Japan alone accounts for 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, and experiences up to 2,000 quakes annually that can be felt by people.
The Cabinet Office report estimates an 80% chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake along the Nankai Trough, a seismically active seabed zone for the country.
According to the report, if the potential magnitude of the megaquake stands at 9, which is the worst-case scenario assumed in the report, the impact will directly hurt 1% of the Japanese population. The government has estimated 1.23 million evacuees for this situation. Moreover, if the quake triggers at night in winter, there could be about 2.98 lakh deaths due to building collapse and tsunamis. Night-time quakes have worse impact as they give less preparation time for evacuation and can delay rescue efforts due to reduced visibility and other aspects.
What Regions Will The Megaquake Hit?
The megaquake is expected to occur along the Nankai Trough, which is located off Japan’s southwest Pacific coast. This 900 km (600 miles) zone marks where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate. In the region, the tectonic strain is building and can result in a megaquake once every 100 to 150 years.
