A 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook Japan, killing 200+ people on January 1, 2024.

Japan is hit by 1,500 earthquakes per year, according to Nature.com. However, few of these quakes are of the intensity of this one.

According to Michigan Technical College, there are about 10 to 15 earthquakes with magnitudes between 7 to 7.9 per year. This means this 7.6 magnitude quake was one of few this year that will occur at such a strength.

This quake caused extensive destruction at its epicenter in the cities of Suzu and Wajima and affected many other areas in its immediate vicinity. Entire blocks of the cities were decimated. Many roads were cracked and damaged, stopping first responders from reaching the rubble. Buildings caught fire and burned down as well.

Initially, after the first few days, the death toll was only 62, but as damage and rubble have been cleared, many more bodies have been found. Currently, 200+ people have died, and over 58,000 households are without power, according to The Japan Times. One resident of the city of Wajima, Shoichi Kobayashi, stated, “I’ve never experienced a quake this powerful.”

Immediately after the initial tremors, Japanese meteorologists issued tsunami warnings for the coastal areas along the western coast of Japan as far out as eastern Russia. Although the tsunami warnings were initially for a major tsunami, they were later downgraded into an advisory. This was the first major tsunami warning since 2011 when the 2011 tsunami wiped out the region, according to CNN. However, the tsunami resulting from this earthquake was small. Its waves only crested at 1 meter, or 3.2 feet high. Meanwhile, the 2011 quake caused a tsunami that was 10.05 meters or 33 feet high. This tsunami destroyed the region and mixed with a destroyed nuclear power plant. This all led to 18,000 people dead and many bodies never found.

While the damage here seems small, the 200+ deaths still make this earthquake deadly and destructive.

This quake is now known as the New Year’s Day Earthquake of January 1, 2024.