False earthquake warning causes panic in Japan

(Baonghean.vn) - A false warning of a major earthquake in Tokyo, Japan on August 1 caused panic among local residents and forced some railway transportation agencies to suspend operations.

A warning of a magnitude 9.1 earthquake hitting Tokyo on August 1 was announced by the Yurekuru app. Photo: AFP.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning at 5 p.m. local time on August 1 that a magnitude 9.1 earthquake would hit Tokyo. The warning was canceled within seconds, but not enough to stop the Yurekuru app from broadcasting the warning.

The Yurekuru app is a popular app in Japan that warns of possible natural disasters, especially earthquakes. At least 5 million people have downloaded the app to their phones.

"When I saw the Yurekuru app warning message, I was ready to leave. Well, the warning was fake, but it was enough to scare me," said a Japanese man.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the false alarm was caused by a lightning strike on a seismograph - an instrument used to monitor earthquakes.

Several railway service providers in Tokyo were forced to temporarily close following the false alarm.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, located at the intersection of four tectonic plates. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan in March 2011, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people and severely damaged three nuclear reactors.

Thanh Hien

(According to Guardian)