Mayor in Japan orders the shutdown of a nuclear power plant hit earlier this week by earthquake, The Associated Press reports. Details soon.

KASHIWAZAKI, Japan (AP) -- The mayor ordered that a nuclear power plant hit by a strong earthquake be shut down Wednesday until its safety could be confirmed after a long list of problems -- including radiation leaks, burst pipes and fires -- came to light.
The malfunctions and a delay in reporting the problems at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant fueled concerns about the safety of Japan's 55 nuclear reactors, which have suffered a string of accidents and cover-ups.
"They raised the alert too late. I have sent stern instructions that such alerts must be raised seriously and swiftly," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo. "Those involved should reflect on their actions."
The facility is the world's largest nuclear plant in power output capacity. Japan's nuclear plants supply about 30 percent of the country's electricity, but its dependence on nuclear power is coupled with deep misgivings over safety.
The power plant suffered broken pipes, water leaks and spills of radioactive waste when it was hit by the earthquake Monday, the plant's operator said.
Signs of problems, however, came first not from the officials, but in a plume of smoke that rose up when the quake triggered a small fire at an electrical transformer.
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