Nearly a million homes suffered blackouts in Japan’s north east today after a strong aftershock that killed two people and piled more misery on a region buried under the rubble of last month’s devastating tsunami.

A MAJOR aftershock rocked north-east Japan yesterday and a tsunami warning was issued for the coast devastated by last month’s huge quake and tsunami that crippled a nuclear power plant.

Tens of thousands of Japanese huddled in makeshift emergency shelters today after a string of earthquakes in northern Japan flattened homes, toppled bridges and derailed trains, killing at least 21 people and reportedly injuring 2,000 others. Eight people were believed missing.