7.2-Mag Quake Kills 6 in Northern Japan

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake jolted northern Japan today, killing at least 6 people and injuring more than 140 others, the AP reports. Landslides trapped another 100 bathers at a hot springs resort, but no tsunami warning was issued. At a nuclear power plant, 5 gallons of radioactive water splashed from two pools storing spent fuel, but officials said there was no leakage outside the plant.

The quake, followed by 153 aftershocks, buckled many roads and severed one highway when a stretch of land collapsed, creating a cliff.  "It was scary. It was difficult to stand up," said the owner of a convenience store in Oshushi. "The TV fell over and the refrigerator shook." (More Japan stories.)