Upon opening, US stock markets 'tumbled' as result of Japanese disaster

The calamity in Japan is having a negative economic impact on the rest of world, including the world's largest economy:

U.S. stocks plunged deep into the red, joining a global market selloff that started in Tokyo as Japan's nuclear crisis deepened and worries escalated over the human and economic toll of last week's earthquake.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dived 285 points, or 2.4%, to 11703, while the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index shed 35 points, or 2.7%, to 1261. The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 77 points, or 2.9%, to 2623.

The selloff came after news of two more explosions at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-power plant that released large amounts of nuclear material into the atmosphere. Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned of 'substantial' radiation leaks. Tokyo also suffered an aftershock in the late evening, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

The markets have picked up a bit since the opening. As of this post, the Dow is 'only' down 200 points.