Latest news with #Akuseki
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Japan urges Akuseki residents to evacuate after strong quake
A large quake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck near Akuseki today. (Kyodo/Reuters pic) TOKYO : Japanese authorities urged today the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after a strong earthquake, the latest of more than 1,000 jolts in recent days to hit the area. Residents were urged to leave their homes and evacuate to 'a school playground in Akuseki Island', a municipal official told AFP. It is part of the Tokara island chain. The island chain, south of Kyushu region, has been rocked by more than 1,000 quakes in the past two weeks. No major damage has been reported. Today a large quake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck near Akuseki. Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
The remote earthquakes islands where no one has slept for weeks…as they've been hit by 900 terrifying tremors & counting
A REMOTE island chain has been rocked by more than 900 terrifying earthquakes in two weeks - forcing its residents to stay up all night. Tokara island chain in the south of Japan - a region prone to tremors - has been rattled by 1,031 quakes since June 21. 8 8 8 8 A 5.5 magnitude quake today struck near Akuseki - one of the 12 islands in the cluster - just a day after it recorded a jolt of the same size. Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after the tremors were felt. The quake hit at a depth of 12 miles, giving it a seismic intensity of "lower six" on Japan's 1-7 scale on Akuseki Island, the agency said. The intensity is classified as a level that makes it "difficult to remain standing", according to the agency. After all residents were confirmed safe, the evacuation instruction was later lifted. While no major damage has been reported, Tokara village said on its website that residents haven't been able to sleep and are tired. One resident told regional broadcaster MBC: "It feels like it's always shaking. "It's very scary to even fall asleep." Another resident added: "It's not clear when all this will end. I should think about whether to evacuate my kids." Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total. A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area was seen in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA. But their intensity and frequency were not as much as the slew of earthquakes that hit the region in the past two weeks. This series of tremors comes as the country as a whole has been kept on edge by rumours that a massive, deadly quake could soon hit. Ayataka Ebita from the Japan Meteorological Agency said: "In areas where the tremors were strong, there is an increased risk of collapsed houses and landslides. "Please be aware of earthquakes of similar magnitude for the foreseeable future." The government released a report saying much more needed to be done to prepare for such a megaquake. Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake is imminent. Earthquake hotspot Japan is one of the most geologically active areas on Earth, marked by frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. The country's position at the intersection of four major tectonic plates — the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate — makes it particularly prone to seismic activity. These plates are constantly shifting and colliding, creating subduction zones where one plate is forced beneath another. The frequent subduction of plates not only causes earthquakes but also triggers underwater fault movements that can displace large volumes of water, causing tsunamis. The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world's earthquakes. In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Another major earthquake, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, resulted in widespread destruction and the loss of over 6,000 lives. 8 8 8 Nearly 600 people died after a massive earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year's Day in 2024. To mitigate the effects of these natural disasters, Japan has implemented advanced safety measures. Seismic-resistant buildings are designed to sway rather than collapse during earthquakes, while early warning systems detect seismic activity and provide residents with crucial seconds to prepare. Along the coast, tsunami defence systems, including sea walls and evacuation plans, aim to minimise casualties. Education programmes also play a key role in making sure that citizens are prepared for emergencies. 8
News24
2 days ago
- News24
Residents told to evacuate after 1 000 earthquakes hit Japan island amid ‘risk of collapsed houses'
A Japanese island has been hit with 1 000 earthquakes. Authorities urged residents to evacuate. There was no tsunami risk from Thursday's earthquake. Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after a strong earthquake on Thursday, the latest of more than 1 000 recent jolts to hit the area. Residents were urged to evacuate to 'a school playground in Akuseki Island', a municipal official told AFP. Akuseki is part of the Tokara island chain south of Kyushu region, which has been rattled by 1 031 quakes since 21 June. No major damage has been reported. On Thursday, a 5.5 magnitude quake struck near Akuseki. The previous day a jolt of the same size was also recorded. READ | One dead, dozens hurt as 5.8-magnitude Turkey earthquake felt in Greece, Egypt Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total. There was no tsunami risk from Thursday's quake, according to Ayataka Ebita, director of the earthquake and tsunami observation division of the Japan Meteorological Agency. 'In areas where the tremors were strong, there is an increased risk of collapsed houses and landslides,' he told reporters. Please be aware of earthquakes of similar magnitude for the foreseeable future. Ayataka Ebita A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area occurred in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA. Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1 500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18% of the world's earthquakes. In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18 500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Yasunari Itayama/Yomiuri/The Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP Quakes are extremely hard to predict, but in January a government panel marginally increased the probability of a major jolt in the Nankai Trough off Japan in the next 30 years to 75% to 82%. The government then released a new estimate in March saying that such a 'megaquake' and subsequent tsunami could cause as many as 298 000 deaths and damages of up to $2 trillion. This week, the government released a report saying much more needed to be done to prepare for such a megaquake. Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake is imminent. Causing particular concern is a manga comic reissued in 2021 which predicted a major disaster on 5 July 2025. 'We are aware that such tales are circulating, but that is a hoax,' Ebita at the JMA said. 'With today's science and technology, it is not possible to predict earthquakes.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Japan urges evacuation of small island as 1,000 quakes hit region
Richter scale graphs are shown on Thursday, March 4, 2010, in Taipei, Taiwan. (AP Photo) Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after a strong earthquake on Thursday, the latest of more than 1,000 recent jolts to hit the area. Residents were urged to evacuate to 'a school playground in Akuseki Island', a municipal official told AFP. Akuseki is part of the Tokara island chain south of Kyushu region, which has been rattled by 1,031 quakes since June 21. No major damage has been reported. After all residents were confirmed safe, the evacuation instruction was later lifted. On Thursday, a 5.5 magnitude quake struck near Akuseki. The previous day a jolt of the same size was also recorded. Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total. There was no tsunami risk from Thursday's quake, according to Ayataka Ebita, director of the earthquake and tsunami observation division of the Japan Meteorological Agency. 'In areas where the tremors were strong, there is an increased risk of collapsed houses and landslides,' he told reporters. 'Please be aware of earthquakes of similar magnitude for the foreseeable future,' he said. A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area occurred in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA. Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world's earthquakes. In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Quakes are extremely hard to predict, but in January a government panel marginally increased the probability of a major jolt in the Nankai Trough off Japan in the next 30 years to 75-82 per cent. The government then released a new estimate in March saying that such a 'megaquake' and subsequent tsunami could cause as many as 298,000 deaths and damages of up to US$2 trillion. This week, the government released a report saying much more needed to be done to prepare for such a megaquake. Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake is imminent. Causing particular concern is a manga comic reissued in 2021 which predicted a major disaster on July 5, 2025. 'We are aware that such tales are circulating, but that is a hoax,' Ebita at the JMA said. 'With today's science and technology, it is not possible to predict earthquakes.'
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Japan briefly orders evacuation as 1,000 quakes shake Tokara Islands since June
TOKYO, July 3 — Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after a strong earthquake today, the latest of more than 1,000 recent jolts to hit the area. Residents were urged to evacuate to 'a school playground in Akuseki Island,' a municipal official told AFP. Akuseki is part of the Tokara island chain south of Kyushu region, which has been rattled by 1,031 quakes since June 21. No major damage has been reported. After all residents were confirmed safe, the evacuation instruction was later lifted. Today, a 5.5 magnitude quake struck near Akuseki. Yesterday, a jolt of the same size was also recorded. Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total. There was no tsunami risk from today's quake, according to Ayataka Ebita, director of the earthquake and tsunami observation division of the Japan Meteorological Agency. 'In areas where the tremors were strong, there is an increased risk of collapsed houses and landslides,' he told reporters. 'Please be aware of earthquakes of similar magnitude for the foreseeable future,' he said. A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area occurred in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA. Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world's earthquakes. In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Quakes are extremely hard to predict, but in January a government panel marginally increased the probability of a major jolt in the Nankai Trough off Japan in the next 30 years to 75–82 per cent. The government then released a new estimate in March saying that such a 'megaquake' and subsequent tsunami could cause as many as 298,000 deaths and damages of up to US$2 trillion. This week, the government released a report saying much more needed to be done to prepare for such a megaquake. Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake is imminent. Causing particular concern is a manga comic reissued in 2021 which predicted a major disaster on July 5, 2025. 'We are aware that such tales are circulating, but that is a hoax,' Ebita at the JMA said. 'With today's science and technology, it is not possible to predict earthquakes.' — AFP
