Panic as warning for record-breaking magnitude 9.9 earthquake is issued
The record-breaking earthquake warning was issued in Japan earlier today(Image: USGS)
TL;DR
- Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a magnitude 9.9 earthquake warning on October 16.
- The warning was cancelled approximately eight minutes later.
- The JMA apologized, stating the system misjudged the magnitude.
- Preliminary assessments suggest a data misreading by the warning system.
- The system is designed to warn of tremors of magnitude 5 or higher.
- A magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula around the same time, but no strong shaking or tsunami risk was reported in Japan.