Deep beneath Fukushima’s crippled nuclear power station a massive underground reservoir of contaminated water that began spilling from the plant’s reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been creeping slowly toward the sea.

Japan’s Fukushima state has opened its first beach to swimmers since last year’s nuclear disaster after judging the water to be safe.

A STRONG earthquake yesterday jolted the same area of northeastern Japan that was hit by a massive quake in March.