TOKYO: The cost of the damage wreaked by a huge New Year’s Day quake that killed around 236 people in Japan could reach US$17.6 billion, a government official said on Friday.
The 7.5-magnitude earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks wreaked havoc in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, resulting in the collapse of buildings, destruction of roads, and a significant fire outbreak.
Government estimates project that the damage in Ishikawa and two adjacent regions will range between 1.1 trillion yen and 2.6 trillion yen. A Cabinet Office official also confirmed these figures during a government economic meeting on January 25, utilizing data from past major quakes.
However, the top estimate is still far below the 16.9 trillion-yen damages that the 2011 northeastern Japan earthquake and tsunami caused. The disaster, which resulted in the most severe nuclear accident to hit the world since Chernobyl, caused a meltdown at the Fukushima atomic facility, leaving almost 18,500 people dead or missing.
Reconstruction plans for Ishikawa were unveiled on January 25, outlining measures to address the challenges posed by snow and severely damaged roads in the quake’s aftermath. These plans encompass improvement to evacuee shelters, subsidies for reconstructing factories and ports, and initiatives to attract tourists to the affected area.
The nation has stringent construction regulations to ensure buildings can withstand powerful tremors. Nevertheless, many structures remain older and more vulnerable, particularly in rapidly aging rural communities like those most impacted by the New Year’s quake. —AFP
