The Japan Meteorological Agency withdrew a seismic alert issued in error after eight minutes

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) mistakenly issued an alert warning of extremely strong earthquake effects in Hokkaido, Tohoku and the Kanto region after overestimating the magnitude of the earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula.

According to data cited by The Mirror, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9 and occurred at around 12:39. In Hakodate, on the island of Hokkaido, seismic activity measuring magnitude 1 was recorded. No strong aftershocks were reported, and there was no tsunami risk.

The warning sent to the public was cancelled approximately eight minutes later. The JMA confirmed that the alert had been triggered by an incorrect initial estimate of the earthquake’s magnitude.

At a press conference held afterward, agency representatives apologized for the error and announced an investigation to determine its cause. Japanese officials ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack, but the exact mechanism that led to the incorrect estimate remains under investigation.