two minor quakes wrongly trigger japans alert system
Thursday 3 April 2025
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Two minor quakes 'wrongly trigger' Japan's alert system

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Two minor quakes 'wrongly trigger' Japan's alert system

Japan launched the world's first earthquake early warning system in 2007.
Tokyo - Arab Today

Millions of people in Tokyo received a loud alert Friday that a "strong" earthquake was about to hit -- but it proved to be a false alarm apparently triggered by geological chance.

Text messages and whooping alarms were sent to the phones of millions in and around the Japanese capital, warning: "A quake has occurred off Ibaraki. Prepare for strong jolts."

But officials suspect the early alert, issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency, was triggered by two minor earthquakes hitting the archipelago at nearly exactly the same time.

A 4.4-magnitude quake struck off Ibaraki, northeast of Tokyo, in the Pacific at 11:02 am (0202 GMT).

And nearly simultaneously, a 3.9-magnitude tremor hit Toyama prefecture, some 350 kilometres (217 miles) west of the one off Ibaraki.

Even Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was caught off-guard by the false alarm -- with TV footage showing him checking his flip phone as alarms echoed in the prime minister's office ahead of a cabinet meeting.

An alert also flashed on public broadcaster NHK as its announcer warned viewers: "Protect yourself. Stay away from unstable furniture."

The warning forced train and subway operators in the capital to suspend services temporarily, while elevators -- including those of Tokyo Tower -- stopped, local media reported.

But any jolts were moderate with no injuries or damage reported.

"We suspect that the system overestimated it by calculating the two separate quakes as one big quake," an official said, adding that the agency was further investigating the cause.

Japan launched the world's first earthquake early warning system in 2007, giving residents vital extra seconds before a major quake hits.

The country sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences a number of relatively violent quakes every year.

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake in March 2011 triggered a massive and deadly tsunami, which smashed into the Fukushima nuclear power station and sparked the world's worst atomic accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

In the cataclysmic earthquake, underground sensors detected the first tectonic shift and sent out telephone text messages to tens of millions of people within seconds.

But the agency has also wrongly issued the early warning system in the past, sparking unnecessary confusion and complaints.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

two minor quakes wrongly trigger japans alert system two minor quakes wrongly trigger japans alert system

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

two minor quakes wrongly trigger japans alert system two minor quakes wrongly trigger japans alert system

 



GMT 03:07 2017 Wednesday ,25 January

Health care veterans, pioneers awarded

GMT 05:44 2017 Saturday ,11 November

Business as usual as Hamilton dominates Brazil practice

GMT 11:08 2018 Thursday ,25 October

Russia to be at very high level at conference on Libya

GMT 15:00 2012 Saturday ,21 April

Nelly Karim: Egypt akin to \'Hiya Fawda\'

GMT 03:02 2018 Saturday ,20 January

Egypt's President Sisi says will stand for re-election

GMT 00:51 2017 Tuesday ,24 October

HH the Emir Meets Foreign Minister of Kuwait

GMT 05:42 2017 Saturday ,02 September

64 dead in clashes in Raqa province

GMT 00:08 2017 Sunday ,05 March

Desperate migrants escape Libya 'hell'

GMT 19:24 2016 Saturday ,12 November

Israeli air forces attack Syrian position in Qunaitera

GMT 07:25 2017 Tuesday ,14 March

China's retail sales up 9.5% on-year in Jan-Feb

GMT 21:05 2017 Friday ,08 December

Saudi Assistant Defence Minister arrives in Bahrain

GMT 23:31 2017 Thursday ,09 March

HH Sheikha Moza to Visit Sudan, Tunis

GMT 11:45 2017 Saturday ,05 August

Fouad Al-Kaam wishes to shine
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday