Japanese Prime Minister cancels trip to Central Asia due to risk of mega-earthquake.
According to Reuters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled his planned visit to Central Asia on August 9th. Instead, he focused on directing preventative measures domestically, following an unprecedented warning that the risk of a strong earthquake on the Pacific coast was higher than normal.
According to RT, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first warning on August 8th about the risk of a super-earthquake on the country's Pacific coast, following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that shook Kyushu Island in the southwest on the same day.
Reuters also reported that, although the warning did not specify a timeframe or call for evacuation, Kishida stated at a press conference: "I have decided to stay in the country for about the next week to ensure that our preparations and communications are well-executed."
"But this is the first time a warning has been issued, and I believe people will feel concerned about it," he added. "Therefore, I have decided to cancel my planned visit to Central Asia and Mongolia."
Japan's state broadcaster NHK said that the government may instead hold online meetings with regional leaders. The visit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia was originally planned for August 9-12.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a warning about the possibility of a major earthquake in the Nankai Trench, an underwater trench running along Japan's Pacific coast, where previous earthquakes have triggered large tsunamis.
The advisory did not state any indications that an earthquake was certain to occur, but encouraged people to prepare for evacuation if necessary.
According to Japan's Ministry of Infrastructure, the estimated probability of an earthquake of magnitude 8 or 9 on the Richter scale occurring around this trench within the next 30 years is 70-80%.
