Insurers use drones to assess damage after natural catastrophes

Japanese nonlife insurers including Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc. are increasingly using unmanned drones to assess damage caused by natural disasters to enable speedier payouts, The Japan News reported. Sompo Japan Nipponkoa conducted assessments using drones in two days, compared with two weeks in previous cases, after heavy rains hit northern Kyushu in July. The insurer paid out $108.5 million Japanese yen ($962,655) worth of claims. Sompo set up a drone unit in April after receiving a permit from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to fly drones over densely populated districts during disasters.

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