Tokyo - A magnitude-7.2 earthquake shook north-eastern Japan early Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 100. No tsunami warnings were issued. Michitaka Ishii, 55, died when being hit by a fallen rock in Fukushima province, while fishing at the time of the earthquake, according to police.
Tomozo Chiba, 60, died after being hit by a truck in Iwate province as he left the house during the earthquake.
Masahiko Chiba, 48, died in a hospital after he was hit by rolling rocks and rendered unconscious.
Japan's Self-Defence Force and the Tokyo Fire Department sent relief teams to rescue people buried under collapsed houses and landslides in the quake-hit regions.
A bus rolled off a road and slid about 50 metres down a cliff. Some 20 passengers, including a driver, were rescued out of the bus within a few hours, but 10 were seriously injured.
Seven people were buried inside a partially collapsed hotel as the building was washed away in a landslide at the hot spring resort of Koma in Miyagi province.
More than 100 people were injured in the quake hit-regions and 10 were missing. About 29,000 households were left without electricity.
Numerous landslides were seen to block off major roads, making it difficult for rescuers to reach disaster areas. At least 280 people were isolated, being cut off due to landslides.
A total of 19 litres of waste water and radioactive water escaped at a Tokyo Electric Power Co plant in Fukushima province, but no leakage or other damage was reported at four nuclear power plants in the quake-hit regions, according to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
The epicentre of the quake was approximately eight kilometres beneath south Iwate, the meteorological agency said.
