The Central Disaster Management Council (CDMC) predicts that most of the fatalities will be caused by the resulting tsunami, and a maximum of 220,000 buildings could be destroyed if such a quake occurs along the Japan Trench.
Nearly 200,000 could die if M9 level quake hits northern Japan japantoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Japanese government releases new damage estimates under the scenario of a magnitude-9 level earthquake hitting off the Pacific coast of northeastern and northern Japan, warning up to 199,000 people in seven prefectures, including Hokkaido and Aomori, could die.