2.7-magnitude quake occurs in N. Korea in aftermath of September nuke test

A 2.7-magnitude earthquake occurred near North Korea's nuclear test site, apparently caused by the communist nation's last nuclear explosion in September, South Korea's state weather agency said Thursday.

The quake happened about 2 km northeast of the Punggye-ri test site in the country's northeast at 6:46 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It was the ninth natural quake caused by the North's sixth nuclear test in September.

(Yonhap)

Last such quake occurred Tuesday.

North Korea claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb in the Sept. 3 nuclear detonation, the most powerful of the nuclear tests the North has conducted. The North carried out all six nuclear tests at the site, beginning with the first one in 2006.

Experts have warned of the possibility of the test site collapsing, noting that the site must have become fatigued and unstable from six nuclear tests. They have also warned that another nuclear blast could trigger a collapse of the North's mountainous test site and a leak of radioactive materials. (Yonhap)