"Japan Expands Nuclear Evacuation Zone as New Quake Hits"

"TOKYO -- Japan on Monday expanded the evacuation zone around its crippled nuclear plant because of high levels of accumulated radiation, as a strong aftershock rattled the area one month after a quake and tsunami sparked the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

A magnitude 7.1 tremor shook buildings in Tokyo and a wide swathe of eastern Japan on Monday evening, triggering a small tsunami alert. NHK state television said it caused the off-site power supply for two damaged reactors to shut down.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the aftershock struck 38 km (24 miles) west of the city of Iwaki, at a depth of 13 km (8 miles).

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), which operates the plant, said workers had stopped pouring cooling water on reactors No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 at Fukushima."

Yoko Kubota and Yoko Nishikawa report for Reuters April 11, 2011.

SEE ALSO:

"Lack of Data Heightens Japan’s Nuclear Crisis" (New York Times)

"High Radiation Levels Found Beyond 30-Km Radius" (Asahi Shimbun)

"Japan Set To Extend Evacuation Zone" (Reuters)

"Living with Radiation: A Spreading Cloud of Economic And Human Costs " (Economist)

"Strong Aftershock as Japan Urges More Evacuations" (New York Times)

"Japan Ready To Stop Pumping Radioactive Water Into Sea" (Reuters)

"Evac Area To Soon Be Declared 'Off-Limits'" (Kyodo News)