Quake Rocks Japan

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Monday, killing six people, injuring hundreds, and causing a fire in a nuclear power plant. The quake hit Kashiwazaki the hardest—2,000 people were evacuated from the city. "I almost fainted by the fear of shaking," a shopkeeper there said.

The six who died were all in their 70s and 80s and were killed when buildings collapsed on them. Roads, bridge, and railways buckled and broke, and a ceiling collapsed in a gym where 200 people were gathered for a badminton tournament. Several smaller aftershocks also hit the area, and the Meteorological Agency warns that they may continue for a week. (More Japan stories.)