Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has canceled his trip to Central Asia to discuss the government’s reaction to a possible “mega-earthquake” off the country’s southern coast.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first “megaquake” warning on Thursday after a magnitude 7. 1 earthquake struck near the island of Kyushu. The warning prompted consideration of the Nankai Trench, a known source of the most devastating earthquakes.
The agency’s seismologists held an emergency assembly to assess the risk and asked the public to remain cautious for about a week. Local government and rail operators have begun implementing precautionary measures and several popular tourist sites have been temporarily closed.
(With agencies. )