Japan hit by earthquake following typhoon

Japan's northern island of Hokkaido has been hit by a powerful earthquake just after a deadly typhoon lashed the west of Japan over the past few days, according to a Sept. 6 BBC News report.

The magnitude 6.7 quake triggered landslides that engulfed houses and cut power to around three million homes after a thermal power plant was damaged. At least nine people have been killed and about 40 are missing, according to local media reports.

The earthquake comes on the heels of Jebi, the strongest typhoon to hit the country in 25 years killing at least 10 people and causing widespread damage and disruption.

Jebi made landfall in Western Japan on Sept. 4 with 165 kph (100 mph) winds – and prompted widespread wind and flood damage to many prefectures, according to Aon Benfield’s most recent Weekly Cat Report.

Preliminary data from Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency cited more than 1,100 homes damaged or destroyed, though this total was expected to significantly rise as assessments remained ongoing. Total economic and insured losses were minimally poised to reach into the hundreds of millions US dollars –if not higher, the report said.

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