Japan apologises after false 9.9-magnitude earthquake alert triggers millions of phone alarms

Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued an apology after mistakenly alarming residents with a false 9.9-magnitude earthquake alert, causing millions of mobile phones to receive emergency notifications. The false warning was later retracted. The agency later clarified that the earthquake that had actually occurred had a magnitude of 6.9 and struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

JMA official Shinya Tsukada expressed regret over the confusion and anxiety the false alert caused. The error was attributed to an incorrect calculation of the earthquake’s epicentre, which the agency said was based on an assumption that the epicentre was about 680km farther from Japan than it actually was. The incident has highlighted concerns about the accuracy of Japan’s earthquake early-warning system, which is meant to give people and transport operators time to prepare for strong shaking.

The magnitude-9.0 earthquake that struck Japan in 2011, causing a devastating tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, remains a stark reminder of the potential impact of such events.