Japan earthquake live: Strong aftershocks after megaquake warning

Google’s AI-generated tsunami summary reportedly gave dangerously inaccurate information after Monday’s earthquake in northern Japan, wrongly stating that all tsunami warnings had been lifted while the alerts were still active.

test by Asahi Shimbun It turned out that the AI ​​had repeatedly provided outdated and inaccurate details, including inaccurate earthquake data.

Experts warned that such AI “hallucinations” pose serious risks during disasters, where lives depend on accurate, real-time information.

Masahiro Tsuji, a senior consultant at Faber Co. Inc. who is an expert in the mechanics of search engines, told the outlet that using AI-powered answers during emergencies is too dangerous.

“AI-generated search results can present false information that appears credible, a phenomenon known as ‘hallucinations,'” he said.

“In the field of disaster response, where lives are at risk, false information should not be displayed even once,” Tsuji said.

Japan has recorded a series of powerful aftershocks over the past several hours, including a magnitude 5.7 earthquake near the east coast of Honshu and a magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the Hokkaido region shortly after.

Two smaller earthquakes of magnitude 3.2 and 3 were also felt off the southern coast of Honshu.

These come after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Monday night, following which a megaquake advisory was also issued.

Most schools in northeastern and northern Japan reopened on Wednesday after being closed due to a magnitude-7.5 earthquake that struck Aomori Prefecture on Monday night, although a rare megaquake alert remains in effect for coastal areas from Hokkaido to Chiba.

More than 300 schools in five prefectures – Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima – were closed Tuesday, while some remained closed due to damage caused by the quake.

Students have been asked to be prepared for immediate evacuation for about a week.

At schools that reopened, including a public elementary school in Hachinohe, Aomori, no injuries were reported, and children quickly returned to normal routines. Mainichi Informed.

Teachers practiced and reviewed evacuation procedures, while students shared experiences of fear and family preparedness after the earthquake, the outlet reported.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for parts of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, with a wave of 70 centimeters recorded at Kuji Port.

Here’s the latest travel advice and what you need to know after the massive earthquake that struck northern Japan.

The latest earthquake in a series of recent earthquakes in Japan occurred on Wednesday.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Center said the most recent quake had a magnitude of 5.7 and struck off the east coast of Japan’s Honshu.

EMSC said the earthquake was at a depth of 31 km. Earlier its intensity was reported as 6.5 and depth as 57 km but it was downgraded.

There were no immediate reports of any damage after the earthquake.

The latest earthquake occurred off the north-eastern coast of Japan’s main island Honshu.

The epicenter, the red circle in the geophone map below, was also south of the small island of Hokkaido.

On Tuesday, Japan issued a megaquake advisory after a magnitude 7.5 quake struck off the east coast of Aomori, north of the main island of Honshu.

The areas covered by the advisory span 182 municipalities from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture.

Japan’s meteorological agency said Monday’s earthquake increased the potential risk to areas of Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast due to the Pacific Plate, which has been home to many earthquakes in the past.

They warned that another offshore megaquake in the Hokkaido-Sanriku region could cause a 30-metre (98-foot) tsunami in the region, killing more than 199,000 people, destroying 220,000 homes and buildings, and causing economic damage estimated at up to 31 trillion yen ($198 billion), according to a government estimate. It said about 42,000 people could suffer from hypothermia in winter.

Japan witnessed a deadly earthquake and tsunami in 2011, caused by movement associated with the Japan Trench. It extends from the east coast of Chiba to Aomori, and the Chishima Trench runs from the east coast of Hokkaido to the northern islands and the Kuriles.

The 2011 earthquake caused a tsunami that devastated northern coastal cities in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. The tsunami, which reached a height of 15 meters (50 ft) in some areas, struck and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This created a deep fear of radiation that persists to this day.

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami killed 15,894 people, and a subsequent nuclear disaster caused by damage to reactors at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant forced 99,750 people to live as displaced persons away from contaminated areas.

Japan Meteorological Agency said its probability has increased Earthquake of magnitude 8 or more Along with Japan Trench and Chishima Trench, this is the first activation of the top-level alert since the system launched in 2022.

The Independent’s Asia climate correspondent Stuti Mishra reports: