Tremors from Japanese earthquake recorded at Ballybofey school

A seismograph in the physics lab of St Columba’s College measured the earthquake which struck the in the remote Noto peninsula Japan at 07:10 hrs GMT on Monday morning, January 1, 2024.

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.5. Teacher Brendan O’Donaghue that because the focus was shallow the damage on the surface was worse than expected. "Because the focus was so shallow - only 10km down where the Earth's crust is very brittle - the damage on the surface was more extensive than expected," he said.

The BBC reports that the death toll stands at 92. Many people are thought to be trapped under their collapsed homes - mostly in the towns of Suzu and Wajima.