Residents gather for water supplies near
a gymnasium used as a shelter in Kashiwazaki July 17, 2007. Nearly 8,000
people spent an anxious night in evacuation centres in northwestern Japan
after a strong earthquake flattened hundreds of houses and killed at least
seven people. Forecasts for two days of rain in the area raised fears of
further mudslides that would add to the devastation. Houses collapsed and
water, gas and electricity supplies were cut by the 6.8 magnitude quake in
Niigata prefecture, which also caused a small radiation leak and fire at
the world's biggest nuclear plant.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
TOKYO, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Water
with radioactive material leaked from a reactor of a nuclear plant in Niigata
prefecture of central western Japan late Monday, after the area was hit by a
major quake in the morning.
According to the operator Tokyo
Electric Power Co., water containing radioactive material
leaked from the No. 6 nuclear reactor at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power
plant in Niigata. The No. 6 reactor was suspended at the time for regular
checks.
Such contaminated water may have been discharged into
the sea, Jiji press said.
Also due to the 10:13 a.m. (0113 GMT) quake measuring
at 6.8 on the Richter scale, an electric transformer caught fire at the No. 3
reactor of the nuclear plant. The fire was brought under control around noon.
Seven people were killed due to the quake and over
700 were injured.
An elderly woman takes a medical check
from a member of the emergency services as she spent the night at a
gymnasium used as a shelter in Kashiwazaki July 17, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
A man rides a bicycle past a collapsed
house in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, July 16, 2007. Seven people
were killed, over 730 people were injured in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake
which rocked Niigata prefecture of central western Japan and surrounding
areas on Monday morning. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
TOKYO, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were killed, over 900 people were
injured in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake which rocked Niigata prefecture of central
western Japan and surrounding areas on Monday morning. Full Story
TOKYO, July 16 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out at Kashiwazaki
Kariwa nuclear electricity plant in Niigata prefecture, 250 km northwest of
Tokyo, after a strong earthquake struck the area on Monday morning, a local
television channel reported. Full Story
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