A rumor appeared on social networks, which predicts a major earthquake in July, causes panic and already has major effects on tourism in Asia.
Travel requests have dropped dramatically because of a fake photo prophecy: Archive
It all started with a so-called “prophecy” on social networks, which announces a devastating earthquake in July. The rumor, completely devoid of a scientific basis, spread rapidly, especially in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and was amplified by viral video clips and posts in Facebook groups.
A group dedicated to disaster prediction has over 250,000 members, and the videos of “experts” in Feng Shui, who warn against travel, have been watched tens of times. A single such video has collected over 100,000 views.
The economic impact was not delayed. The demand for holidays in Japan has dropped drastically.
“This prophecy regarding earthquake has caused a major change in our customers’ preferences ”explained Frankie Chow, the director of a travel agency in Hong Kong, according to Agerpres. According to him, travel requests to Japan were reduced by 70-80% during March-April compared to last year.
Airlines reacted quickly. Greater Bay Airlines has announced that it will reduce the frequency of flights to Tokushima at least until autumn.
Japan’s official reaction
The Japanese government intervened to calm the spirits. “Predicing the earthquakes after the date, time and location is not possible, based on the current scientific knowledge ”transmitted the prime minister’s office by a message posted on the X platform.
However, the Japanese press believes that the message comes as a reaction to the panic triggered by an official estimate published in January, according to which there is a probability of 75-82% as an earthquake with a magnitude of over 8.5 to take place in the next 30 years.
Subsequently, another report estimated a disastrous scenario: up to 298,000 dead in an earthquake followed by Tsunami. These data were taken out of context and transformed into alarming “prophecies” on the Internet.
Authorities are trying to calm the population
Despite the panic, experts point out that Japan is one of the best trained countries in the world for such disasters. The buildings meet strict seismic resistance standards, and the civil protection exercises are regular.
However, the memory of the devastating earthquake of 2011, which had magnitude 9 and caused over 18,000 deaths, maintains a feeling of anxiety among the population.
The governor of the Miyagi Prefecture said: “There is no cause for concern”but acknowledged that “rumors could become a major problem for economy”.
