Another Quake Hits Japan, Emergency Crews not Disrupted
A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.8 hit central Japan on Saturday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake shook buildings 83 kilometers north Tokyo and at a depth of 20 kilometers, the USGS stated.
Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said the tremor did not disrupt the emergency crews who are working around the clock to cool crippled reactors at a nuclear plant hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami last month.
That earthquake -- the biggest ever recorded in Japan -- struck on March 11, triggering a huge tsunami and leaving 13,591 people dead, with another 14,497 still unaccounted for.
Tens of thousands of people lost their homes, while many others were forced to evacuate after a series of explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant sent radiation spewing into the air.
The radiation leaks have resulted in bans on production from the affected area and hurt the fishing and farming industries because of public fears over radioactivity in food.
On Friday, Japan's government ordered TEPCO to offer payouts to thousands of homeless people.
The total cost from collapsed or damaged houses, factories and infrastructure such as roads and bridges is estimated to reach 16-25 trillion yen over the next three financial years, according to the Cabinet Office.
There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties from Saturday's quake, which the Japan Meteorological Agency said had a magnitude of 5.9 and struck at a depth of 70 kilometers underground.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/5398 |