An urgent warning has been issued over a possible ‘apocalyptic’ megaquake that has the potential to kill 300,000 people and unleash 100-foot tsunamis.
The Japanese government is warning that the enormous earthquake could cause catastrophic damage.
And experts now believe that there is a worrying 80% chance of it happening in the next 30 years.
They are now estimating that a magnitude nine tremor will hit in the Nankai Trough, which is a deep ocean trench just off Japan’s Pacific coast.
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The Japanese government has warned that this event could kill up to 300,000 people, with tsunamis reaching an enormous 98 feet in some parts.
The trench near Japan was formed by two tectonic plates and is usually hit by a megaquake every 100 to 200 years.
In a worst case scenario, the disaster could cause up to $1.83 trillion in damages, with 2.35 million buildings potentially being destroyed and 12.3 million people forced to evacuate.
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Now, the Japanese Cabinet Office has updated its estimates for a megaquake impact for the first time since 2013 as the risk of the event continues to increase.
The country is also making preparations for such an event, including stricter building requirements and flood defences.
However, experts say this has only slightly reduced the number of estimated deaths.
Back in 2011, Japan suffered a devastating magnitude nine earthquake that hit just over 80 miles off the coast.
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The impact caused huge waves of up to 132 feet tall and resulted in the death of 15,500 people.
The flooding also caused problems at the Fukushima power plant where the meltdown of three nuclear reactors released toxic waste into the air.
This resulted in thousands of people being forced to evacuate and leave their homes behind.
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However, the Japanese government believes a megaquake in the Nankai Trough could be even more devastating.
This is in part due to the fact that some areas will have just two minutes notice before the waves hit the shore.
Waves as tall as 30 feet will hit Tokyo while other cities such as Kuroshio and Tosashimiz could suffer waves as big as 112 feet tall.
To make matters worse, the flooding caused by the tsunamis is likely to spread infectious diseases, leading to more deaths.
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If the megaquake hits, it is highly likely to become one of the worst natural disasters in history, with some experts referring to it as ‘apocalyptic’.