The government warned Thursday that major aftershocks could possibly follow the recent 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the southwestern county of Buan, ordering officials to remain thoroughly prepared to respond.

Lee Han-kyung, a senior interior ministry official, made the remark during a government response meeting following additional reports of damage after the strongest earthquake of this year shook Buan the previous day, a region that had previously seen no quakes stronger than magnitude 4.

“According to experts’ opinions, there’s the possibility of large-scale aftershocks over the course of the coming week,” Lee said.

The official instructed related government ministries to promptly take action to prevent further quake damage and remain prepared to respond in the event of possible aftershocks.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, 277 cases of damage to facilities had been reported as of 5:30 a.m., an increase of over 100 cases compared with late Wednesday,
when 159 reports were made.

Most of the reports came from Buan, where the earthquake struck, recording 239 cases, followed by 19 cases from the nearby city of Jeongeup and five cases from Gochang County, among many others.

In many cases, the reports were about broken bathroom tiles and windows, fractured walls or malfunctioning doors.

Cultural assets in Buan County also suffered damage, including some brick walls falling down at Naeso Temple and near Gaeamsa Temple.

Meanwhile, 17 aftershocks were reported after the quake struck at 8:26 a.m., most of them being microquakes below magnitude 2.

The interior ministry and the North Jeolla provincial government will examine the quake-struck areas and the damage it has caused.

Source: Yonhap News Agency