7.4 magnitude earthquake rattles Japan N.E. coast
BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhuanet) -- An earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale hit the sea near Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan Thursday evening. Authorities issued a tsunami warning, but later lifted it.
The tremor caused widespread blackouts in affected areas. But several nuclear plants were shut down in case the tragedy of Fukushima was repeated.
Less than a month later, another strong quake hit the island country.
The earthquake's epicentre was about 40 km under the sea off the coast of Miyagi prefecture.
Source:
news.xinhuanet.com
07Apr2011 : Tsunami warning after 7.4 magnitude Japan quake
*** breaking news
TOKYO — A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has hit off the coast of Japan, and authorities have issued a tsunami warning for the country's northeastern coast, which was already ravaged by last month's devastating quake and tsunami.
The warning is for a tsunami of as much as four feet, NBC News reported.
The quake hit 73 miles from Fukushima, where workers are still trying to contain the damage at a stricken nuclear plant, and 207 miles from Tokyo, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
source:
msnbc.msn.com
Japan nuclear crisis drags on but experts hopeful
(Reuters) - Workers battled to staunch radiation leaks at a Japanese nuclear plant on Thursday, almost two weeks after it was disabled by an earthquake and tsunami, but some experts saw signs of the crisis being brought under control.
Hundreds of workers have been desperately trying to cool down the six reactors and spent fuel ponds at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, since the March 11 disaster, including pumping in seawater or dropping water from the air.
Two of the reactors are now seen as safe in what is called a cold shutdown, but the other four remain volatile, emitting steam and smoke periodically and raising radiation levels in the vicinity.
But that does not mean the situation is out of control, the experts said. more
source:
reuters.com
Power line connected to stricken Japan reactor
Crews fighting to cool reactors at Japan's stricken nuclear plant managed to connect a power line as the government revealed that leaking radioactivity had reached the food chain.
The Fukushima No. 1 plant was crippled eight days ago by a terrifying earthquake and tsunami which according to the latest police tally left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing in Japan's worst natural disaster since 1923.
At least 7,653 people were confirmed killed -- lost to the tsunami or buried in the wreckage of buildings. Sick and hungry survivors of the disaster are enduring desperate conditions and bitterly cold nights in the northeast.
The government of the world's third-biggest economy has been insisting that there is no widespread threat of radiation but confirmed Saturday that fresh foodstuffs were now showing signs of contamination. more
Source:
my.news.yahoo.com
7.4 magnitude earthquake rattles Japan N.E. coast
