TOKYO, Oct 25 (AFP) - A strong aftershock measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck Japan`s Niigata region Monday, two days after the country`s deadliest quake in nearly a decade left 23 people dead, the Meteorological Agency said.
The latest tremor occurred at 6:05am (2105 GMT) in Niigata, 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Tokyo, according to the agency.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the aftershock, which could be felt in Tokyo.
The epicentre was about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) underground in the Chuetsu region in central Niigata Prefecture, the agency said.
Saturday`s killer quake, which measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, also left at least 900 people injured, as well as flattening houses, cracking roads and causing the first ever derailment of Japan`s famed bullet train
Coming within days of the country`s worst typhoon in a quarter-century, it was the deadliest to hit tremor-prone Japan since 1995 when 6,433 people were killed by a 7.3 Richter scale quake in western Kobe city.
More than 240 aftershocks have been felt in Niigata since Saturday. The area was hit Sunday by two strong aftershocks of 4.9 and 4.6 on the Richter scale.
10/24/2004 21:58 GMT - AFP