Post date: Apr 11, 2011 2:23:12 PM
A strong aftershock with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 rattles northeastern Japan and shakes buildings in Tokyo.
JAPAN-QUAKE AFTERSHOCK - A strong aftershock rattles Japan -- one month after a massive quake and tsunami left nearly 28,000 people dead or missing.
Monday's Magnitude 7.1 tremor shook buildings in Tokyo and much of northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami alert that was later lifted.The U.S. Geological Survey said the aftershock struck 24 miles west of the city of Iwaki, at a depth of eight miles.
Operators at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant said the quake cut the off-site power supply for two damage reactors, and forced the evacuation of workers from the plant.
But power was again restored less than an hour later.
Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency said the pumping of water into three reactors to cool them was halted for about 50 minutes, but was unlikely to have any impact on safety.
The latest aftershock comes as Japan expanded the evacuation zone around the plant due to high levels of accumulated radiation - meaning more people will need to be evacuated.
Officials said the evacuation decision was based on the accumulated radiation but was not necessarily effective immediately, and that residents should leave the area within a month.
Travis Brecher, Reuters