Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 hits Japan days after New Year quake tragedy

Japan earthquake: The latest earthquake comes nearly a week after an earthquake 7.6 magnitude shook the country on New Year's Day, leaving at least 202 people dead

An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 hit near the West Coast of Honshu, Japan at about 2:29 pm on Tuesday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

The agency reported the latitude and the longitude range of the quake as 37.86 and 137.83, respectively, and said it was registered at a depth of 46 kms. No tsunami warning has been issued so far.

New Year earthquake tragedy

The latest earthquake comes nearly a week after a powerful earthquake 7.6 magnitude shook the country on New Year's Day, leaving at least 202 people dead. Many people were reported missing while several buildings were damaged in the earthquake that struck Japan's Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture and nearby region.

Nearly 102 people remain missing following the strong earthquake, which had left as many as 565 injured. Ishikawa alone reported destruction or serious damage to over 1,400 homes. As authorities continue to estimate the damages, about 30,000 people have been moved to evacuation centres. Tens of thousands of homes lacked running water or power.

Heavy snowfall and more than 1,000 aftershocks raised the danger of more landslides.

Japan is a highly earthquake-prone country. The infamous 2011 quake tragedy had killed nearly 18,000 people and led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster on March 11, considered the biggest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

The widespread destruction caused by recent earthquakes and cyclonic storms, including those in Japan and India, have also gained fresh attention towards the rising costs associated with natural disasters.

According to a report compiled by Munich Re, natural disasters, including extreme storms, cost the world about $250 billion in losses in 2023. The report said that insurers actually covered less than half the total amount. The bill exceeds the 10-year average and includes the impact of catastrophic losses caused by earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

(With agency inputs)