The Monster Earthquake That Just Hit Japan Is Far Worse Than You Think — And It's Not Over
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck directly beneath Kumamoto Prefecture this afternoon, registering the maximum level on Japan's seismic intensity scale — a reading recorded only eight times in the nation's history. A shopping mall has partially collapsed with people presumed dead, fires are burning, more than 150,000 people have evacuated, and Japan has ordered a full ground, maritime, and air military mobilization. Now the Prime Minister is warning that an earthquake of similar scale could strike within the week. The last time this fault system broke, the bigger quake came 28 hours after the first — and the next few days will reveal whether history is repeating.