OCEAN DISCHARGE OF FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR-TAINTED WASTEWATER HALTED AFTER QUAKE IN NORTHEASTERN JAPAN

TOKYO, Dec 9 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean was suspended following the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck northeastern Japan late on Monday night, reported Xinhua.

No abnormalities have been reported by nuclear plants in Hokkaido or in the northeastern prefectures of Aomori, Miyagi and Fukushima, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said that the discharge of the wastewater from the plant was halted at 11.42 pm local time following the issuance of a tsunami warning.

In Aomori and Hokkaido, there have been reports of several non-life-threatening injuries. The Aomori prefectural government said that around 2,700 homes were left without power, Kyodo News reported.

The temblor occurred at 11.15 pm local time at a depth of 50 kilometres, measuring 6 on Japan's seismic scale of 7 in the city of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, triggering a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Aomori, Iwate and Hokkaido prefectures, said the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Waves of 50 centimetres were observed in the town of Urakawa, Hokkaido, at 12.21 am local time Tuesday and in Kuji Port, Iwate Prefecture, at 12.10 am local time, the JMA added.

According to Japan Railways, Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services in northeastern Japan have been suspended in both directions between Fukushima Station and Shin-Aomori Station due to the quake.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government was gathering information on casualties and property damage.

The government set up a crisis management office at the Prime Minister's Office in response to the earthquake.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA