Mount Fuji eruption could paralyse Tokyo: Report
TOKYO Japan's iconic Mount Fuji could paralyse Tokyo with ash if it erupted, choking roads and halting water supplies, according to a government disaster planning study, a news report said yesterday.
The snow-capped peak of the country's highest mountain, 100km west of Tokyo is an active volcano.
It last erupted in 1707, and while it has not shown any signs of life, an eruption now could shower more than 10cm of ash on Tokyo, according to a government study.
The ash would paralyse the capital, rendering roads impassable. The study found just 0.5cm of ash could cause mechanical problems for cars and more than one centimetre could cause mass power outages and the failure of water filtration systems, news agency Kyodo reported.
Mr Noriko Urata, an official in charge of disaster research, confirmed the government is assessing the impact of an eruption and preparing measures to deal with the scenario.
In the past, the government has estimated that an eruption could result in damage and losses worth over 2.5 trillion yen ($23 billion).
"But if we include the impact on aviation and other transportation as well as secondary infrastructure, the cost could be far more than two trillion yen," said Mr Toshiyasu Nagao, head of Tokai University's Earthquake Prediction Research Centre.
Japan, with more than 110 active volcanoes, sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where a large proportion of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.- AFP
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