Japanese PM Fumio Kishida Calls Off Central Asia Trip Following Earthquake Advisory

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called off his planned visit to central Asia, over an advisory, which warns of a huge earthquake in an area along the Pacific coast.

Japanese PM has called off his four-day trip to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. As per Kyodo News report, this decision was made following an advisory from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

As per the Japan Met department, an increased likelihood of a mega earthquake is expected around the Nankai Trough.

Also Read: Powerful Earthquake Hits Southern Japan, Triggering Tsunami Warnings

Earlier on Thursday, a powerful  earthquake of 7.1 magnitude struck off the southern coast of Japan. According to Japan’s Met agency, tsunami waves reaching up to 1.6 feet were observed along parts of Kyushu’s southern coast and in the nearby island of Shikoku about half an hour after the earthquake.

Due to the quake, Nichinan city and surrounding areas in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu were the most affected area.

Further, the earthquake near Tokyo was reported with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 on Friday.

This earthquake, which occurred at 7:57 p.m, registered as a 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in western Kanagawa Prefecture. The quake’s focus was 13 kilometers underground, and no tsunami warning was issued.

Must Read: Japan’s Megaquake Warning: How Prepared Is the Country For A Catastrophic Earthquake?

Meanwhile, the eastern Asian country Japan continues to be a quake-prone nation, as it comes under ‘Ring of fire.’ According to the experts, it predicts possibility of earthquake with 8 to 9 magnitude along Nankai Trough in coming decades.

This could affect a vast area of the country and potentially generate tsunami waves exceeding 30 meters in height.

(With Inputs From ANI)