Tokyo, Jan 17 (TIWN) The port city of Kobe in the western Japanese prefecture of Hyogo on Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake striking the region and claiming the lives of 6,434 people.

A moment of silence was observed at 5.46 a.m. on Monday morning, the time the 7.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the region in 1995, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mourners lit around 5,000 lanterns made from bamboo and paper on Sunday evening.