Updates for Japan disaster-so sad :(

Tokyo, March 14 Kyodo -- (EDS: UPDATING WITH DETAILS, INFORMATION) A strong
earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 rocked Pacific coast areas in
northeastern Japan on Monday morning, triggering fears about a possible
tsunami and briefly sending local residents already battered by Friday's
massive disaster rushing for safety.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake, which measured 5 on the
country's seismic intensity scale of 7 in the southern part of Ibaraki,
occurred at 10:02 a.m. with the focus at 10 kilometers depth in the Pacific
Ocean off the prefecture.

No tsunami warning followed but residents in some of the cities and towns
in the coastal areas, including Ofunato and Hachinohe, had to evacuate along
with rescue workers on orders from their local authorities.

The Fukushima prefectural government said shortly after 11 a.m. that a
3-meter tidal wave had been observed in the Pacific Ocean, while the Iwate
prefectural government said there was a report from Self-Defense Forces
officials about a 5-meter change in the height of the tide off Ofunato.

The weather agency dismissed tsunami fears and the evacuation orders from
local authorities were lifted by mid-afternoon.

''It's unthinkable that this earthquake could trigger a tsunami, and we
would have observed one if it had actually occurred,'' a senior official at
the meteorological agency said.



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Tokyo, March 14 Kyodo -- The Defense Ministry has decided to dispatch for
the first time its reserve personnel for disaster relief operations
following Friday's devastating earthquake, ministry officials said Monday.

The SDF reserve personnel, many of them with civilian jobs, can be
mobilized for emergencies, and the ministry is verifying whether members are
willing to be dispatched, the officials said.

So far, about 6,500 people have said they will comply.

Among their tasks, they will be required to support the disaster victims in
provision of food and hygiene while some will work as interpreters.

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, meanwhile, flew to the quake-hit city of
Sendai to facilitate more effective rescue and transport operations.