Megaquake alert: Japan warns of imminent disaster, massive destruction expected

Japan has predicted an alert, a massive earthquake in the near future, with the capability to cause gigantic devastation to the country. In case the earthquake occurs, 13 lakh citizens become homeless immediately, and 3 lakh citizens can be killed due to the sudden tsunami and collapse of houses. The world witnessed the massive devastation caused by the recent powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand. People had not even overcome the shock when Japan stirred up controversy by issuing a new warning.

Warning from the government

According to the report presented by the national government agency, the possibility of a 'great earthquake' in Japan in the near future cannot be ruled out, which will cause gigantic destruction in Japan. There can be millions of deaths at one time.

Tsunami and destruction

There will be a highly severe tsunami in the sea, and many cities can be inundated. The Japanese government has warned that if there is an earthquake of 9 magnitude, 13 lakh citizens will become homeless, and approximately 3 lakh citizens can be destroyed by the tsunami and collapse of buildings.

The economic cost

If this happens, the Japanese economy can lose $2 trillion (i.e., more than Rs 171 lakh crore). The new estimate is lower than the 2014 estimate that 323,000 people would be killed by the "great earthquake" in the Nankai Trough.

The Nankai trough

The Nankai Trough is a 800-kilometer (500-mile) long undersea chasm from Shizuoka west of Tokyo to the tip of southern Kyushu. This is the abyss where the Philippine Sea tectonic plate is slowly submerging under the continental plate.

What is a Megaquake? 

A 'superearthquake' is a extremely powerful earthquake, usually magnitude 8 or greater, with the potential to create a tsunami with disastrous destruction. The Nankai Trough has been experiencing great earthquakes every 100 to 200 years over the last 1400 years. The last one was in 1946. Although earthquakes are still very difficult to predict, a government panel has predicted a 75-82 per cent chance of 'super earthquakes' within the next 30 years.

A lesson from the past

In March 2011, a 9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, killing nearly 18,500 individuals and rendering them missing. It caused three reactors to melt at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the country's worst post-war disaster and the worst nuclear accident after Chernobyl.