5 killed, hundreds hurt in Japan quake

A man stands in front of a collapsed house after an earthquake in Kashiwazaki, northern Japan, July 16, 2007. A strong earthquake killed at least four people in Japan on Monday, injured more than 400, flattened houses and started a small fire at the world's largest nuclear power plant, Japanese media and officials said. REUTERS/Kiyoshi Ota (JAPAN)

KASHIWAZAKI, Japan - A strong earthquake struck northwestern Japan on Monday, destroying hundreds of homes, buckling roads and bridges and causing a fire at a nuclear power plant. At least five people were killed and hundreds were injured.

The quake hit the region shortly after 10 a.m. local time and was centered off the coast of Niigata state. Buildings swayed 160 miles away in Tokyo. The hardest-hit area appeared to be Kashiwazaki, a city of about 90,000 in Niigata

Japan's Meteorological Agency measured the quake at a 6.8 magnitude. The U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors quakes around the world, said it registered 6.7.