Japanese urged to avoid panic buying as 'megaquake' fears spread

11/8/2024 6:20

        Authorities in Japan urged people to avoid hoarding as anxiety over a possible "megaquake" triggered a spike in demand for disaster kits and daily necessities on Saturday (Aug 10).
        
        In its first such advisory, the weather agency said a huge earthquake was more likely in the aftermath of a 7.1-magnitude jolt in the south of the country on Thursday which left 14 people injured.
        
        At a Tokyo supermarket on Saturday, a sign was put up apologising to customers for shortages of certain products it attributed to "quake-related media reports".
        
        "Potential sales restrictions are on the way", the sign said, adding bottled water was already being rationed due to "unstable" procurement.
        
        On Saturday morning the website of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten showed portable toilets, preserved food and bottled water topping the list of the most sought-after items.