5.6-magnitude quake detected in N.Korea (Lead)

Seoul Sep 3 (IANS) An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale was detected around North Korea s nuclear test site on Sunday the Seoul military said indicating that Pyongyang has conducted its sixth nuclear test.

The artificial quake wave was detected around the Punggye-ri site in the North Hamgyeong province according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The military said it was analysing whether the temblor came from a nuke test reports Yonhap News Agency. Seoul s weather agency said that the seismic wave was recorded at 12.36 p.m. The USGS said the epicentre was recorded 24 km east-northeast of Sungjibaegam and zero km deep. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting following the earthquake and a report by North Korean state-media that Kim Jong-un inspected a hydrogen bomb being loaded into a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) after it claimed to have made a "more developed nuke". Since 2006 North Korea has carried out five nuclear tests including two last year. --IANS ksk