The Japanese government on Tuesday ordered the shutdown of the world’s biggest nuclear power station and told all nuclear plants to double-check their facilities following Monday’s powerful earthquake.

The trade ministry, which regulates the nuclear industry, ordered Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) to put its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant in Niigata on idle until safety checks had been carried out after the 6.8 magnitude earthquake had caused a fire and a leak of radioactive water into the sea.