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Explainer | As Japan puts out ‘megaquake’ alert, how should Hong Kong holidaymakers tackle a crisis?

  • Japan issues first ‘megaquake advisory’ in wake of 7.1 magnitude earthquake affecting southern Japan

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A collapsed house in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the area. Photo: Kyodo
A string of earthquakes hit Japan, a magnet for Hong Kong tourists, last week and authorities in the country have warned of the risk of a “megaquake”.
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The country’s meteorological agency issued its first “megaquake advisory” just hours after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan on Thursday.

This warning means an increased likelihood of a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake and major tsunamis along the Nankai Trough, an unstable area on Japan’s southwest Pacific coast.

Japan remained a top destination for Hong Kong tourists and attracted 1.28 million visitors from the city in the first six months of the year, a 16 per cent increase on the same period in 2019.

Here the Post looks at ways to check whether earthquakes in Japan are likely and how to cope if the worst happens.

1. How do visitors to Japan get information or warnings?

Hong Kong travellers in Japan can obtain earthquake information and warnings from a variety of sources.

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