E-Paper
Earthquake of magnitude 5.8 shakes Japan's Shimane prefecture
The quake registered an intensity of upper-5 on Japan’s 1-7 seismic scale in the prefecture.
An earthquake, which was initially reported to be of magnitude 6.3 but later downgraded, struck Japan’s Shimane prefecture on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The epicentre of the earthquake was the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture, the agency said, adding that no tsunami warning had been issued.
Initially reported to be of magnitude 6.3, it was later downgraded to magnitude 4.5 by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Meanwhile, according to real-time data shown by the USGS (United States Geological Survey), the magnitude was reported to be 5.8.
The quake also registered an upper-5 intensity on Japan’s 1-7 seismic scale in the prefecture, local broadcaster NHK reported.
Notably, Japan continues to be haunted by the memory of the powerful 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake in 2011, which set off a tsunami that left about 18,500 people dead or missing.
Fear of ‘megaquake’
In August 2024, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first special advisory for the southern stretch of Japan’s Pacific coast, warning of a possible "megaquake" along the Nankai Trough.
The 800-kilometre undersea trench is the zone where the Philippine Sea tectonic plate is slowly slipping beneath the continental plate on which Japan sits.
The government has said an earthquake in the Nankai Trough, followed by a tsunami, could kill as many as 298,000 people and cause damage of up to $2 trillion.
‘Ring of Fire’
Japan lies across four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
The archipelago, which has a population of around 125 million, experiences roughly 1,500 tremors each year.
Most of these are minor, though the level of damage depends on where they strike and how deep they occur below the Earth’s surface.
With inputs from agencies
