No connection found between Shikoku earthquake and Nankai Trough quake

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the west coast of Shikoku island in Japan on Wednesday night, causing minor injuries and damage but no tsunami. The quake, which hit at 11:14 p.m., measured a lower 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale and left nine people with light injuries in Ehime, Kochi, and Oita prefectures.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Bungo Channel, a strait between Kyushu and Shikoku, at a depth of 39 kilometers. Despite the tremors, no abnormalities were reported at the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture.

Satoshi Harada, head of the Meteorological Agency’s earthquake and tsunami monitoring division, stated that the magnitude of 6.6 did not meet the threshold for investigating a potential Nankai Trough earthquake. However, the agency advised residents in affected areas to be cautious of continued seismic activity and heavy rainfall in the coming week.

The quake has raised concerns about the possibility of a Nankai Trough earthquake, which occurs every 100-150 years and could lead to major earthquakes and tsunamis. Harada explained that the recent earthquake was caused by a fault shift within the plate, deeper than the boundary between plates.

Residents in the affected areas shared their experiences of the quake, with some describing it as the biggest they had ever felt. The event serves as a reminder of the seismic activity in the region and the importance of preparedness for future earthquakes.