TOKYO, January 1 (Bernama-Sputnik) – A total of 29 earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 7.6 occurred in the Japanese prefectures of Ishikawa and Niigata in two hours on Monday, according to data analysed by Sputnik.
The underground tremors started at 4:06 pm local time (07:06 GMT).
At least six houses have collapsed following the seismic activity, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
“As of now, six buildings have collapsed, with a possibility of people remaining under the rubble,” Hayashi said, adding that the authorities did not possess any information about the injuries.
When asked to comment on the reports in Japanese media about the collapses of around 100 buildings, Hayashi said that the Japanese government was verifying the information.
–BERNAMA-SPUTNIK