INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Dozens of residents have evacuated remote islands in southern Japan that have been shaken by nearly 1,600 quakes in recent weeks, the local
mayor said Monday (Jul 7).There has been no major physical damage on hardest-hit Akuseki island, even after a 5.1-magnitude quake that
struck overnight, said Genichiro Kubo, who is based on another island.But the almost non-stop jolts since Jun 21 have caused severe stress
to area residents, many of whom have been deprived of sleep.Of the 89 residents of Akuseki, 44 had evacuated to the regional hub of
Kagoshima by Sunday, while 15 others also left another island nearby, Kubo told a news conference.The municipality, which comprises seven
inhabited and five uninhabited islands, is roughly 11 hours away on a ferry from Kagoshima.Since Jun 21, the area has experienced as of
early Monday what seismologists refer to as a swarm of 1,582 quakes.Experts have said they believe an underwater volcano and flows of magma
foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake was imminent.Causing
particular concern was a manga comic reissued in 2021 which predicted a major disaster on Jul 5, 2025 - which did not happen.Source: AFP-
