▲ Earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula
The Japan Meteorological Agency mistakenly estimated a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia today as a magnitude 9.9, issuing a warning across a wide area of eastern Japan before retracting it eight minutes later, causing a brief uproar.
At around 12:40 p.m. today, the agency issued an "Emergency Earthquake Alert," stating that strong tremors were expected across eastern Japan, stretching from Hokkaido to the Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku, Tokai, and Izu Islands.
The agency had initially estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 9.9.
Earthquake alarms went off simultaneously on the cell phones of residents in Tokyo and the affected regions, prompting citizens to stop in their tracks and stare anxiously at their phones.
About eight minutes later, the agency cancelled the emergency earthquake alert and revised the earthquake's magnitude down to 6.9.
This marks the first time the agency has issued an emergency earthquake alert and then completely rescinded it.
During an afternoon press conference, the agency officially apologized for the false alarm, stating, "During the emergency earthquake processing procedure, the epicenter was determined to be different from its actual location, and the magnitude was overestimated," adding that "the specific cause is currently under investigation."
It also noted that accuracy can be lower around the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands because they are located far from Japan's seismic observation network.
When asked about the possibility that a cyberattack caused the overestimation, the agency confirmed, "There was no cyberattack."
According to the agency, apart from a tremor of intensity 1 detected in Hakodate, Hokkaido, no strong shaking was observed within Japan as a result of the earthquake.
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.