Homes collapse as earthquakes hit region recovering from January tremor

Earthquakes have hit part of Japan still recovering from a powerful tremor in January.

No major damage was caused by the latest earthquakes in the north-central region of Ishikawa, which saw a magnitude 5.9 tremor followed minutes later by a 4.8 and several smaller quakes within the next two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. There was no tsunami.

Five houses that had been damaged in the January 1 earthquake collapsed in Wajiima city, but no major damage or life-threatening injuries were reported, according to Ishikawa prefecture.

JMA seismology and tsunami official Satoshi Harada said the tremors were believed to be aftershocks of the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in January.

Shinkansen super-express trains and other train services were temporarily suspended for safety checks but most of them resumed, according to West Japan Railway Co.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at two nearby nuclear power plants. The Shika plant on the Noto Peninsula, had minor damage, although officials said that did not affect cooling functions of the two reactors.

Hokuriku Electric Power Co said there were no power outages.

“Many people who have been living at evacuation centers must have been been frightened,” chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, urging caution against potential falling rocks and landslides in areas that were shaken strongly.

Reconstruction comes slowly in mountainous areas on the peninsula and many damaged houses remain untouched.

The January 1 quake killed 260 people, including those who later died due to stress, illnesses and other causes linked to the earthquake, with three others still missing, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Damages remain and more than 3,300 residents remain evacuated.