Death Toll Rising In Japan After Quake, Tsunami Waves Hit U.S.
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A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan Friday afternoon just after 2:45 p.m. local time, killing hundreds and triggering tsunami waves that hit the west coast of the United States and Hawaii on Friday morning.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was centered near the east coast of Honshu, Japan,
Japanese police officials said that 200 to 300 bodies were found in the notheastern port city of Sendai, the closest major city to the quake's epicenter. Many people, however, are still reported missing, and the death toll is expected to rise.
The Guardian reported: "The Japanese media are reporting that the death toll is expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned. And that figure could rise significantly once the waters recede."
Tens of thousands have been evacuated to shelters as a result of the devestation.
The tsunami off the northeastern coast of Japan caused major damage, washing away cars and tearing away buildings, the Associated Press reported. At least 50 countries have issued tsunami warnings.
CNN reported: " Officials fear that waves from a tsunami caused by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan could be so high that they wash over entire islands in the Pacific, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Friday."
The AP reported: "In various locations along Japan's coast, TV footage showed severe flooding, with dozens of cars, boats and even buildings being carried along by waters. A large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.
"Officials were trying to assess possible damage from the quake but had no immediate details."
CNN reported: "The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath. In Tokyo, crowds huddled together and tried to reach relatives via cell phone."
The Guardian reported: "All flights in Japan were grounded immediately after the quake while officials checked for runway damage. Strong aftershocks were felt in Tokyo about 30 minutes after the quake. Newsreaders in the capital wore helmets as they gave updates on the quake damage and tsunami threats.
"Television showed a building on fire in the Odaiba district of Tokyo, although it was not immediately clear if the blaze was connected to the earthquake."
"The building shook for what seemed a long time and many people in the newsroom grabbed their helmets and some got under their desks," Reuters correspondent Linda Sieg said. "It was probably the worst I have felt since I came to Japan more than 20 years ago."
The quake also forced the evacuations of thousands of residents living close to a nuclear power plant after the Japanese government declared an "atomic power emergency."
The New York Times reported: "Some 3,000 people were told to leave a 2-mile radius around the Fukushima No. 1 plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power and located in Fukushima Prefecture, after a mechanical failure in the cooling system, government officials said.
"The evacuation was described as precautionary. Near midnight Japan time on Friday, Jiji Press, a Japanese news agency, quoted Trade Ministry officials as saying that the cooling system would be reactivated and should resume normal operations."
Train service was stopped in central Tokyo and Tokyo's Narita airport was shut down following the quake.
Several quakes struck the region earlier in the week, including a magnitude 7.3 quake on Wednesday.
More than 30 aftershocks have struck the area so far, with the largest measuring a magnitude 7.1.
