Debris and material washed out to sea and traveled across the Pacific Ocean to the west coast of North America. 

Early estimates of insured losses from the earthquake alone were US$14.5 to $34.6 billion. 

The earthquake generated a tsunami that arrived at the coast within 30 minutes. The tsunami waves reached heights of up to 40.5 meters (133 ft) in Miyako and traveled up to 10 km (6 mi) inland

Great Hanshin Earthquake:

It was caused by the sudden movement of the Nojima Fault on Awaji Island, a strike-slip fault that shifted along the boundary of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

The quake had a magnitude of 6.9 (or 7.3 on the JMA scale) and occurred at a shallow depth of 16 kilometers.

The violent shaking lasted around 20 seconds, causing significant destruction.

It was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan and the third-largest in the world since 1900

Casualties:

Over 6,434 people died, most of them in Kobe.

More than 43,000 were injured.

Damage:

Approximately 200,000 buildings were destroyed, including homes, offices, and factories.

Total financial losses were estimated at over $100 billion USD.

Impact on Transportation: Key highways like the Hanshin Expressway collapsed.Train services, including the Shinkansen (bullet train), were suspended for weeks.

Place: Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture: The epicenter was located near the northern part of Awaji Island, just 20 kilometers away from Kobe, one of Japan’s major port cities.

Surrounding areas such as Osaka and Kyoto were also affected, though Kobe suffered the most damage.