A strong earthquake jolted northwestern Japan on Monday morning, flattening dozens of wooden houses and triggering small tsunamis. News media reports said at least 150 people were injured. The United States Geological Survey said the magnitude of the quake was 6.7. It was centered off the coast of Niigata, 160 miles northwest of Tokyo, where buildings swayed during the tremor.
The national broadcasting station NHK showed images of the collapsed homes, along with damaged bridges and roads. Sirens from fire engines could be heard in Kashiwazaki city, where the homes collapsed. Flames and black smoke were seen pouring from the Kashiwazaki nuclear plant, which was automatically shut down in the quake. NHK reported the fire was in an electrical transformer, and that no radioactivity had been released. |