A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck about 75 miles (120 km) from New Zealand on Monday.
The US Geological Survey said the quake, which hit 78 miles from Raoul Island, had a depth of 3.1 miles in the Pacific Ocean
The quake hit a few hundred miles from Nuku`alofa, Tonga.
It also hit several hundred miles from two main islands of New Zealand.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ASIA update: Fukushima farmers appeal to Tokyo with live bull
TOKYO (AP) — Two Japanese farmers whose livelihoods were wrecked by the 2011 nuclear disaster staged a protest Friday at Tokyo’s agriculture ministry, scuffling briefly with police as they unsuccessfully tried to unload a bull from a truck.
Masami Yoshizawa and fellow farmer Naoto Matsumura have remained at their farms to care for their own and others’ abandoned livestock in areas where access has been restricted due to radiation fears since the March 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant.
The two drove down from Fukushima, bringing the black bull in the back of a truck, to appeal for help with the livestock, some of which have developed unexplained white spots on their hides.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop,” shouted a policeman in a blue uniform who climbed into the back of the truck and blocked the farmers from leading the bull onto the pavement in front of the ministry. “It’s dangerous. Absolutely not!”
Yoshizawa and Matsumura are among thousands of farmers who lost their livelihoods when their farms, produce and livestock were declared off-limits and unsafe after the nuclear plant, crippled by a massiveearthquake and tsunami spewed radiation into the countryside.
They want the farm ministry or other government agencies to help them figure out what is causing the spots on the animals’ hides and to stop culling abandoned livestock and burning radiation-contaminated vegetation they need to feed the animals.
“The ministry told us they don’t know what is causing the spots. Well, they need to do more research and figure it out. They can’t just run away, saying they don’t know,” Yoshizawa said.
