A government official stated on Friday that the damage caused by the massive New Year's Day earthquake in central Japan, which claimed the lives of at least 236 people, may total $17.6 billion.

Buildings, roads, and a large fire were all destroyed by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and its aftershocks in the Ishikawa prefecture on the coast of the Sea of Japan.

A government assessment puts the damage in Ishikawa and two neighboring regions at between 1.1 trillion and 2.6 trillion yen ($7.4 billion and $17.6 billion).

The statistics, which were presented to a government economic conference on Thursday, were verified by a cabinet office official. The calculations were computed using historical data from significant earthquakes.

However, even the highest estimate pales in comparison to the 16.9 trillion yen in damages inflicted upon northeastern Japan by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The catastrophe, which resulted in the greatest nuclear accident to hit the globe since Chernobyl, caused a meltdown at the Fukushima atomic facility, leaving almost 18,500 people dead or missing.

Authorities in Ishikawa, where snow and severely damaged roads have delayed relief operations in the wake of the earthquake, unveiled comprehensive repair plans on Thursday.

They include making evacuee shelters better, providing funding for the reconstruction of industry and ports, and drawing visitors to the region.

Japan is located on the "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific, an arc of extremely active seismic activity that crosses the Pacific basin and passes across Southeast Asia.

The nation frequently experiences earthquakes, and stringent building codes are in place to guarantee that structures can resist powerful shocks.

However, a lot of the buildings are older, particularly in rural regions that are fast aging, such as the places most affected by the New Year's earthquake.

End//voice7news.tv