Japan issues first 'major quake' warning after strong quake off southern coast

An earthquake off the coast of Japan's southern island of Kyushu has prompted the government to issue its first-ever warning of a major quake from an undersea trough extending along a stretch of the country's coast.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled a planned trip to Central Asia out of caution after the warning. Bullet trains were running at low speeds, NHK broadcast warning graphics, and some semiconductor factories temporarily halted production. Some beaches in affected areas are currently closed, according to local reports.

The devastation caused by a massive earthquake in an area known as the Nankai Trough could exceed that caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northern coast of the main island of Honshu. The area, where the Philippine Marine Plate dives beneath the Eurasian continental plate, experiences major earthquakes every 100 to 150 years.

The precautionary earthquake warning system, implemented in 2019, kicks in when an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 or greater strikes an area where tsunami waves are expected, or when anomalous plate shifts are detected. Depending on the magnitude of the earthquake at the time, authorities can issue varying levels of alert, in some cases warning people to evacuate tsunami-prone areas for up to a week.

“This is advice to prepare for the possibility of major earthquakes continuing. It is not an advance evacuation warning or a notice of an earthquake within a certain period, but it is the first time, so I think people will be very concerned,” Kishida told reporters in Nagasaki, where he was attending a ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing.

Several injuries and limited damage were reported from the 7.1-magnitude quake that struck off the coast of Kyushu on Thursday. The island is home to Sony Group Corp.’s semiconductor plants. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which has opened a plant there, plans to open a second later this year and is considering a third.

NHK interrupted Olympic coverage to report on the quake and warn of a subsequent massive quake, and continued to run news bulletins on Friday. A 2019 analysis by a government panel estimated that more than 230,000 deaths could occur in a worst-case scenario from a Nankai Trough quake.

Large earthquakes have followed smaller ones before. The tremors began two days before the 2011 magnitude 9.0 quake, the strongest quake ever recorded in Japan. The resulting quake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and caused a nuclear meltdown and radiation leak at a nuclear facility in Fukushima.

Central Japan Railway Co. said its bullet trains were running slowly between Tokyo and western Japan until the warning was lifted. Japan’s regulator said it had issued alerts to all nuclear power plants in the country to take precautions. Electronic components maker Kyocera Corp. said some equipment was damaged at a plant in Kagoshima.

Local governments and businesses heeded warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency on Thursday. Stocks closed slightly higher today and the yen was little changed at around 147 yen to the dollar.

Chipmaker Rohm Co. has temporarily halted operations in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu and said safety checks were underway, a spokesman said. Sumco Corp., a maker of silicon wafers needed to make chips, has halted operations at its plant in Miyazaki, a representative said.

Companies may take the opportunity to cancel their business continuity plans after an alert, or conduct disaster drills, said Hiroaki Maruya, a professor at the International Research Institute for Disaster Science.

“NHK covered this event, so they might take action,” Maruya said.

Suntory Holdings Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and other companies said they were conducting checks and were on alert for further developments.

Kyushu Regional Electric Power Co. said it has set up a working group to organize communications with its power plants. A company spokesman said its nuclear power plants — the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant in Saga Prefecture and the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture — were designed with the Nankai Basin earthquake in mind.

Chubu Electric Power Co., a utility covering central Japan, said it has set up a network to boost communications between headquarters and branch offices, according to a company spokesman.

Recommended Newsletter: CEO Daily delivers essential context to the news leaders need to know from across the business world. Every weekday morning, more than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily for insights on and from top executives. Subscribe now.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos