TOKYO (Reuters) -- Japan's economy could lose as much as $1.81 trillion in the event of a long-anticipated megaquake off its Pacific coast, which could trigger devastating tsunamis, the collapse of hundreds of buildings and potentially kill about 300,000 people, a government report said on Monday.
The expected economic damage of 270.3 trillion yen, or nearly half of the country's total gross domestic product, was up sharply from the previous estimate of 214.2 trillion yen as the new estimate accounted for inflationary pressures and updated terrain and ground data which have expanded anticipated flood areas, the Cabinet Office report showed.
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