Massive quake hits northeastern Japan

A massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on Friday has killed at least 95 people. Many people are missing, while authorities are warning Pacific coastal areas to be on the alert for possible tsunami of up to 10 meters high.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says the quake on Friday afternoon had an estimated magnitude of 8.8, making it the most powerful one to hit the country since record-keeping began in the late 19th century.

The quake struck at 2:46 PM local time, off the Pacific coast of Miyagi Prefecture, at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers. Tremors in Miyagi registered an intensity of 7 -- the maximum level on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7. Strong tremors were felt hundreds of kilometers away, including in Tokyo.
Several magtitude-7-class aftershocks continued off the Pacific coast.

The Meteorological Agency has issued major tsunami warnings to broad areas, from Hokkaido in the north, to Tokushima in the west. The agency says these areas could see water levels surge by more than 10 meters.

At 3:50 PM Friday, a tsunami surging higher than 7.3 meters struck Soma Port in Fukushima Prefecture. A 4.2-meter tsunami hit Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture at 4:52 PM, while tsunami more than 4 meters high struck Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate Prefecture at 3:21 PM.

NHK has learned that at least 95 people have been killed in the quake and tsunami, including 41 in Iwate Prefecture, 11 in Miyagi Prefecture, 26 in Fukushima Prefecture. Many more are missing.

A 6-year-old child was killed in Miyagi, when the ceiling of a supermarket collapsed. The child's mother is reportedly in serious condition.

At least 97 fires have been reported in 9 prefectures -- the largest number of them in Miyagi. In Chiba Prefecture, a massive blaze is raging at a Cosmo Oil refinery. A man in his 30s has reportedly suffered severe burns all over his body.

Narita Airport near Tokyo has partially resumed operations. But several airports remain closed in northeastern Japan, including one in Sendai.

Shinkansen bullet train operations have been called off for the day in central and northeastern Japan, and all train services have been suspended in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Expressways are closed to traffic in northeastern Japan and in central Tokyo.

According to electric power companies, 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan are without power. Nearly 4-million more households are also under a blackout in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

The Meteorological Agency is warning of more possible tsunami and aftershocks. It says people in areas where major tsunami warnings are in effect should evacuate to safer ground.

Friday, March 11, 2011 20:37 +0900 (JST)