"Record-Breaking M9.9 Earthquake": Japan Meteorological Agency Retracts False Alert After 8 Minutes

According to NHK and other media outlets, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an Emergency Earthquake Warning at around 12:40 p.m. on October 16, warning that strong shaking could occur from Hokkaido to the Tokai region. The agency initially estimated that a magnitude 9.9 earthquake had struck near the Kuril Islands and forecast shaking of up to seismic intensity 7, but withdrew the warning eight minutes later.

Emergency earthquake warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency at around 12:40. FNN.

A magnitude 9.9 earthquake would release about 22 times as much energy as the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.0. The Emergency Earthquake Warning is issued for areas where shaking of at least intensity 5-lower is forecast on the Japan Meteorological Agency's seismic intensity scale.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake actually occurred near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at around 12:38 p.m. on October 16. The agency was also found to have misjudged the earthquake's timing and epicenter, initially determining that it had struck near the Kuril Islands at around 12:36 p.m., in addition to misestimating its magnitude.

A Japanese YouTuber reacts in shock to a magnitude 9.9 earthquake alert on her phone during a livestream. Screenshot from the YouTube channel Tashumi no Baabara [barbara].

The earthquake's focus was about 160 kilometers deep, and only weak shaking of intensity 1 was observed in Japan, in Hakodate, Hokkaido. No tsunami threat was identified. The agency held a press conference starting at 2 p.m. on October 16 to explain what had happened. An agency official bowed and said, "We sincerely apologize for causing such great inconvenience. We are deeply sorry." The official added that the agency was investigating the cause of the overestimation, but said there were currently no concerns about a cyberattack or similar incident.

The false alarm also disrupted train services. According to JR Central, the Tokaido Shinkansen's earthquake disaster prevention system activated automatically, temporarily suspending service on some sections to ensure safety. Service resumed at around 12:55 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.