Japan withdraws erroneous 9.9 magnitude earthquake alert after 6.9 quake near Kamchatka
Japan's Meteorological Agency issued an emergency warning for a 9.9‑magnitude quake then retracted it eight minutes later when USGS data showed the event was a 6.9, highlighting the importance of accurate alerts.
Key points
- JMA issued an emergency warning for a magnitude 9.9 tremor at 12:40 p.m. local time on Oct. 16.
- The warning was withdrawn at 12:48 p.m., eight minutes after issuance.
- USGS recorded the earthquake near Kamchatka as magnitude 6.9.
- The initial magnitude estimate was determined to be substantially over‑estimated.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued an emergency earthquake warning for a magnitude 9.9 tremor at about 12:40 p.m. local time on Friday, October 16, 2026, after a quake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
The agency withdrew the warning eight minutes later, at 12:48 p.m. local time, after determining that the initial magnitude estimate was substantially over‑estimated.
Seismic data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the event as a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, and the European‑M‑M ‑ …
Your questions, answered
Why did Japan issue a 9.9 magnitude warning for the quake near Kamchatka?
The agency’s initial magnitude estimate was substantially over‑estimated.
How long was the erroneous earthquake warning in effect?
The warning remained active for eight minutes before being withdrawn.
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