Tokyo: Two days ago, the Japanese government issued a report stating that the earthquake-prone country’s economy could face a loss of up to $1.81 trillion in the event of a long-expected mega-quake off its Pacific coast.
The report warns that the earthquake could trigger catastrophic tsunamis, cause the collapse of hundreds of buildings, and potentially result in the deaths of around 300,000 people.
Even though that potentially catastrophic quake and tsunamis — which are feared to bring down hundreds of buildings and lead to around 300,000 deaths — did not materialise on Wednesday, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 did strike southeast of Kyushu Island, at around 7.35 pm IST.
The epicentre was located off the coast, at a depth of approximately 40 kilometres, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
It was night time in Japan, and assessments of potential damage are underway. But there has been no immediate reports of any major damage.
Though no tsunami warning was issued, authorities urged residents to remain vigilant for aftershocks, which are common following seismic events of this scale.
The earthquake comes days after Myanmar and Thailand were struck by a 7.7 magnitude quake on March 26 which saw large-scale death and destruction, especially in Myanmar.
The death toll in Myanmar is inching towards 3,000 as rescue workers continue to recover bodies and evaluate the damage.
