Japan says Hamaoka plant safe after new quake-IAEA

VIENNA, March 15 (Reuters) - Japan has told the U.N. nuclear watchdog that its Hamaoka nuclear power plant continued to operate safely despite a new earthquake striking nearby, the Vienna-based agency said on Tuesday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the plant was located about 100 km (60 miles) from the epicentre of the 6.1 earthquake in Eastern Honshu reported at around 1330 GMT.

It said the IAEA's emergency centre "confirmed with Japan that the plant continues to operate safely". It added: "Units 1 and 2 are decommissioned, unit 3 is under inspection and not operational, and units 4 and 5 remain in safe operational status after the earthquake." (Reporting by Fredrik Dahl and Sylvia Westall; editing by Mark Heinrich)