Tokyo: Errors suggest that up to 18,000 people could die from the massive earthquake in Tokyo. The Japanese government has released its latest estimates that a powerful earthquake with a high probability of hitting Tokyo and surrounding areas in the coming decades could kill up to 18,000 people.
According to Thai News Agency, China's official Xinhua news agency reported that a Japanese government working group revealed that the latest damage assessment was based on the assumption of a possible 7.3 magnitude earthquake centered south of central Tokyo. The damage estimate is about 20 percent lower than the 2013 assessment due to improved earthquake-resistant building construction and fire prevention measures.
Meanwhile, the worst-case scenario economic damage is estimated at 82.6 trillion yen (approximately 16.65 trillion baht), down from the previous calculation of 95 trillion yen (approximately 19.11 trillion baht).
The Japanese government estimates there is about a 70 percent chance that a magnitude 7 earthquake will strike Tokyo and its surrounding areas within the next 30 years.
The worst-case scenario predicted is an earthquake occurring in the winter evening with wind speeds of 28.8 kilometers per hour. This is expected to result in fatalities across Tokyo and four surrounding prefectures, with Tokyo alone potentially accounting for up to 8,000 deaths, or more than 40 percent of the total death toll.