Tokyo residents suffer shortage of supplies

Tokyo: Panic buying, commuter chaos and fears of nuclear contamination are rattling Tokyo residents in the wake of the nation's earthquake disaster.

Long queues formed at railway stations, shops and petrol stations on Monday, as a second explosion at a nuclear power plant further unnerved residents.

At Tokyo's Chofu station, commuters queued patiently to catch express trains. Long lines snaked from other stations after some lines were shut amid power cuts.

Services were reduced or suspended on many regional train lines, as authorities tried to reduce the load on the electricity network.

With ports and road links disrupted, fears of food shortages also led to a rush on shops and supermarkets on Monday.

People formed long queues to buy fresh vegetables amid fears they could soon run out.

Residents also queued outside a nearby supermarket, which remained closed until a new delivery of groceries arrived in the early afternoon.

Many residents complained supermarket shelves were empty by Sunday night.