50-60 Pct Chance of Huge Quake Predicted in Western Japan

Tokyo, Aug. 28 (Jiji Press)--Active faults in and around the Kinki western Japan region could trigger an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 or larger with a 50-60 pct probability within the next 30 years, a government panel said Friday.

The probability stood at 30 pct for active faults in the northwestern part of the region, 40-60 pct for those in the central part called the Kinki triangle and 7 pct for those in the Kii Peninsula, according to the government's Earthquake Research Committee.

The assessment is based on a total of 45 active faults in and around the Kinki region.

The committee has already disclosed its long-term assessments for 114 major active faults across the country and in the Kyushu southwestern, Kanto eastern, Chugoku and Shikoku western regions. Its long-term assessments will be released later for the Chubu central, Tohoku northeastern and Hokkaido northern regions.

The Kinki region has many active faults mainly because of the impact of the expansion of the Sea of Japan during the formation of the Japanese islands. The chance of a major earthquake in the region is as high as that of the Kanto region.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]