Many in Japan Urged to Stay Ready to Evacuate after Aomori Quake

Tokyo, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan on Tuesday advised citizens in a wide area to stay ready to evacuate anytime because another big earthquake may strike following the one that occurred off Aomori Prefecture in the northeastern region Monday night.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued what it calls a subsequent earthquake advisory, warning that a new temblor may occur off the coasts of the Hokkaido and Sanriku regions in northern to northeastern Japan.

The advisory, issued for the first time since its introduction in December 2022, was triggered by Monday's powerful quake, which registered a seismic intensity of up to upper 6, the second-highest level on the Japanese scale, in Aomori.

The advisory covers 182 municipalities, ranging from Hokkaido in the north to Chiba Prefecture in eastern Japan. At a joint press conference, the agency and the Cabinet Office urged citizens there to stay prepared to evacuate quickly for a week.

The advisory was developed after the agency found through global seismic statistics that the probability of a quake registering 8 or over on the moment magnitude scale, which correctly reflects the size of the slip in the source fault, occurring stands at 1 pct, or one in 100 events, within a week of a quake with a moment magnitude of 7 or higher.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]