News & Politics - Thousands dead in Japan after 9.0 earthquake

mcdreamylover · 03-11-2011, 11:46 AM

I'm surprised no one has posted about this here yet.

Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake - Yahoo! News

My condolences to everyone there.

**quin611** · 03-12-2011, 05:43 AM

omg this is so sad!!

i'm praying for everyone that was affected by this event.

vc318 · 03-12-2011, 09:29 AM

Thank you for posting this. What has happened over there is just plain shocking.

**sunnykerr** · 03-12-2011, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcdreamylover (View Post)

I'm surprised no one has posted about this here yet.

You obviously don't come on here often.

We don't get a whole lot of people actually posting.

An update on the story:

Quote:

Rescuers scramble to save lives as aftershocks jolt Japan

Rescuers plucked dazed survivors from collapsed homes, muddy waters and raging fires Saturday, a day after a powerful earthquake tore through northeastern Japan, unleashing waves that swallowed entire neighborhoods along the coast.

More than 900 people were killed and about 700 were missing, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. The number of dead is expected to rise as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.

In the town of Minamisanriku, 9,500 people are unaccounted for, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported, citing local officials. That figure is about half the population of the town, which is located on the Pacific, the news agency said.

More than 3,000 people had been rescued, according to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Kyodo News Agency said.

"We'd first like to focus on saving lives and secondly the comfort of the evacuees," Kan said. "There will be many resources that will be needed for this evacuation process."

Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake was centered about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Sendai, a farming region already battling youth population losses to big cities, leaving aging residents struggling to keep up with the global economy.

Aftershocks continued to jolt the island nation Saturday, including two at 6.1 and 6.4 magnitude.

In the city of Shirakawa, south of Sendai, rescuers dug through rubble with shovels to try and reach 13 neighbors trapped when the earth opened up and swallowed their homes.

Relatives and friends stood in the cold, quietly watching, praying and waiting. Others wept.

In other affected areas, military choppers plucked people from rooftops. In some cases, rescuers trudged in muddy water, carrying survivors on their backs. Weary, mud-spattered residents wandered through streets filled with crumpled cars and other debris.

The original quake struck Friday and left towns and villages along the northeastern coast devastated. Scores of aftershocks followed Saturday.

"The earth shook with such ferocity," said Andy Clark, who experienced the main earthquake at Narita Airport near Tokyo, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) southwest of the quake's epicenter. "I thought things were coming to an end. ... It was simply terrifying."

The quake also disrupted rail service and affected air travel, but limited rail service was back Saturday. Flight cancellations left at least 23,000 people stranded in two Tokyo airports, Kyodo News Agency said. Departing and arriving flights resumed Saturday.

Six million households, more than 10% of the total in Japan, were without electricity, said Ichiro Fujisaki, the nation's ambassador to the United States.

Central Tokyo resident Michelle Roberts said people are accustomed to earthquakes in the area, but this was different.

"I wasn't scared when it started ... but it just kept going and going," Roberts said. "I won't lie, it was quite scary. But we are all OK. We live on the third floor, so most everything shook and shifted."

Roads in affected areas were jammed as residents -- thousands of whom had spent the night in shelters -- tried to get to their homes in outlying areas. Others flocked to nearby shops to buy supplies.

The Japanese government made a formal request for U.S. aid, including military support, and full planning for deployment is in effect with the U.S. military in Japan taking the lead, according to Sgt. Maj. Stephen Valley with U.S. Forces Japan.

The III Marine Expeditionary Force, based on the island of Okinawa south of Japan, said it was sending support staff, a cargo aircraft and transport helicopters. "Additional aircraft and supplies will continue to be moved in the next several days," the unit said in a statement.

The U.S. Agency for International Development said Saturday it had sent a rescue team to the nation to help with rescue efforts.

Online search engine Google said it has launched an online database to help people in Japan find their friends and relatives. The service collects information about the location and condition of those reported missing.

Meanwhile, experts worked to ensure the country's nuclear power plants were safe.

A blast at the ***ushima Daiichi plant injured four workers and crippled the plant's cooling systems, according to Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency. The explosion sent a plume of white smoke into the air.

The explosion was not caused by the nuclear reactor but by "water vapor that was part of the cooling process," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Saturday.

No harmful gases were emitted by the explosion, he said.

Authorities have evacuated people living 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the reactor, according to the prime minister.

The United States said that while Japan has officially sought its help in dealing with the earthquake's aftermath, it is not involved with efforts at ***ushima and Japan has not made requests for help at the nuclear plant.

The impact of the quake was felt far and wide.

On the U.S. mainland, wave heights from Alaska to California ranged from less than a foot to more than 8 feet. The highest measurement, 8.1 feet, was at Crescent City, California.

In McKinleyville, California, three men were swept away by waves while taking pictures of the Pacific Ocean, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two returned to shore, but one died.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a "state of disaster proclamation" after the tsunami caused millions of dollars in damage. The proclamation will allow the state to get federal funds to rebuild, the governor said in a statement.

The quake was the latest in a series around Japan this week.

On Wednesday, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Honshu, the country's meteorological agency said. Early Thursday, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck off the same coast.

Friday's quake is the strongest earthquake in recorded history to hit Japan, according to U.S. Geologic Survey records that date to 1900.

The world's largest recorded quake took place in Chile on May 22, 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5, the USGS said.

Source

At work, there are televisions that broadcast (silently) the news in the cafeteria and, yesterday, we saw all the footage. It was chilling. Plus, the news crawl announced truly horrifying things, like the fact that a second train had been carried away by the tsunami, meaning a first one had been carry off first.

**sunnykerr** · 03-12-2011, 09:52 AM

Meanwhile, not that this is the most meaningful aspect of the story, by far, but there is a "celebrity" connection.

Firstly, Jimmy Kimmel is apparently vacationing in the region:

Quote:

Jimmy Kimmel tweeting from tsunami zone

Jimmy Kimmel’s vacation to the South Pacific took a frightening turn after a 8.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan sent ripples throughout the Pacific. Tsunami warnings were in effect throughout the region, including Hawaii. The ABC funnyman tweeted constant updates from French Polynesia, where he said he was glued to the coverage on CNN. “Suddenly, relaxing on an island in the South Pacific isn’t so relaxing anymore. Good thing I brought my aqua stilts,” he posted early this morning. When asked how scared he was on a scale of 1-10, Kimmel tweeted, “a good solid 7. on a small island, with no high ground.”

Kimmel continued to post, as followers conveyed their concern: “thanks again for the concern — I am now worried others will worry if I don’t tweet — but if I don’t, don’t.”

UPDATE: At 9:40 a.m. E.T., Kimmel tweeted, “we are evacuating the island. dogspeed.”

UPDATE II: At 3:43 p.m. E.T., Kimmel announced that any immediate threat had passed, tweeting, “We are back, officially ‘unevacuated’. Thanks for your kind words. It was scary. Best wishes to our friends in Japan and all affected.”

Source

And, since the tsunami waves reached the West Coast of North America, the cast of Hawaii 5-0 was likewise affected, but remain safe:

Quote:

'Hawaii Five-0' cast and crew safe and shooting today

It was less than two months ago that we watched tsunami warnings sound on an episode of CBS’ Hawaii Five-0. In the wake of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan, the cast and crew have heard them again. Fortunately, the tsunami waves that have hit the Hawaiian islands have been modest and reportedly caused no major damage. Star Daniel Dae Kim tweeted about the warning and earthquake, the largest ever recorded in Japan, early this morning, calling them a “Reality check.” He added, “Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. My family and I have moved to high ground. Now we wait…” Hawaii Five-0 executive producer Peter Lenkov, in LA, followed up on Twitter three hours later. “Cast & Crew safe. All at high ground. So far it’s wait and see. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.” (UPDATE: A rep for CBS Television Studios tells EW, “Hawaii had no land damage we are told, and therefore production is shooting today.”)

The cast and crew of ABC’s Cougar Town recently visited Hawaii to film their season finale. A rep for the show confirms to EW they wrapped last Friday and that everyone had already returned to the mainland. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel is currently vacationing in the tsunami zone in French Polynesia and has been tweeting updates, admitting to one follower who asked him how scared he was on a scale of 1 to 10 that he was at “a good solid 7. on a small island, with no high ground.” An hour later, he tweeted that the island was being evacuated.

Source

It's obviously an incidental side of the whole catastrophe, but I do think it shoes the extent of the impact of this event.

**sunnykerr** · 03-12-2011, 10:01 AM

Meanwhile, I'm sure you've all heard about the nuclear plant explosion that occured as the result of the earthquake:

Quote:

Huge blast at Japan nuclear power plant

Rescuers are searching for survivors of a huge earthquake and tsunami that have devastated Japan's north-eastern coast, killing at least 1,000 people.

In one town alone - the port of Minamisanriku - 10,000 people were listed as unaccounted for, officials were reported as saying.

Across the region, TV footage showed people stranded on rooftops surrounded by debris-filled water.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops were joining the rescue effort.

The government said that all military resources available, including personnel, vehicles, aircraft and vessels, had been mobilised for the rescue effort.

Mr Kan said 3,000 people had been rescued so far.

However, operations are being hampered by aftershocks, continuing tsunami warnings and damaged roads.

An explosion at a nuclear power plant in ***ushima has also prompted fears of a meltdown and people have been ordered to evacuate the area within a 20km (12-mile) radius of the plant.

Cries for help

Hundreds of people are missing, and is it feared that the death toll will rise significantly.

Before-and-after aerial images of coastal towns on Japanese television suggest that virtually entire communities along the coastline were washed away.

The 10m (33ft) tsunami swept up to 10km (6 miles) inland, destroying many towns and villages.

In Minamisanriku, in Miyagi prefecture, reports said the 10,000 people listed as unaccounted-for represented well over half the town's population of 17,000.

NHK World television said the water reached the fourth of a five-floor hospital building.

About a third of the city of Kesennuma, also in Miyagi, with a population of 74,000, was submerged, and the city was also hit by widespread fires.

In Iwate prefecture, Rikuzentakata, a coastal city of some 23,000 people, was almost completely destroyed as the tsunami reached as high as the third floor of the city hall. Some 300-400 bodies were found there.

The coastal area of Miyako and almost all of the town of Yamada, both in Iwate, were also submerged.

A municipal official of the town of Futaba in ***ushima prefecture said: ''More than 90% of the houses in three coastal communities have been washed away by tsunami. Looking from the fourth floor of the town hall, I see no houses standing.''

In one of the worst-hit areas of ***ushima prefecture, people buried under rubble could be heard calling out for help, the Kyodo news agency reported.

Four trains running in a coastal area of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures are still unaccounted for.

In Ibaraki prefecture, north-east of Tokyo, many homes are still without power and there are queues at the few petrol stations that are open, says the BBC's Chris Hogg.

In other developments:

* There have been reports of more than 125 aftershocks, including a 6.8 magnitude quake
* The number of partially or completely destroyed buildings has reached some 3,400
* Some 5.57 million households had lost power as of Saturday morning, while more than one million households have had their water supply cut off, the Kyodo news agency reported
* Fires have continued, with Sendai airport said to still be on fire and Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture experiencing three large-scale fires, Kyodo reported
* Two US aircraft carriers are on their way to the disaster zone - the USS George Washington, which is based near Tokyo, and the USS Ronald Reagan, which was on its way to South Korea
* The welfare ministry said 181 welfare facilities, including nursing homes, were damaged
* More than 200,000 people are in emergency shelters. More than 50 countries and territories have offered assistance

The earthquake struck on Friday afternoon off Honshu island, about 400km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo.

It was nearly 8,000 times stronger than last month's quake in New Zealand that devastated the city of Christchurch, scientists said.

Source

**sunnykerr** · 03-12-2011, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Japanese town has 9,500 missing after twin disasters

Crisis deepens as explosion destroys part of nuclear plant

The death toll in northeast Japan after a powerful earthquake and tsunami could rise dramatically, with news that about 9,500 people are unaccounted for in the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture.

The Kyodo news agency reported that number Saturday, citing local officials, and said it represents more than half of the community's population.

Rescue teams have fanned out across affected areas amid shocking scenes of devastation in the aftermath of the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the country.

The official death toll more than 24 hours after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami stood at 586. About 215,000 people have gone to emergency shelters.

The quake struck 125 kilometres off Japan's northeast coast. A majority of the victims drowned in the giant tsunami waves created by the powerful tremor, which swept 10 kilometres inland. Thousands of buildings and cars were washed away, along with four passengers trains.

Officials are taking emergency measures following an explosion at one of two nuclear plants damaged in Friday's massive earthquake. The government on Saturday doubled in size the evacuation area around the ***ushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to a 20-kilometre radius.

The walls of the ***ushina Unit 1 station have crumbled, and on Saturday, smoke could be seen pouring out of the plant, close to the coast that took the full force of the tsunami.

Japan's nuclear safety commission is checking whether a meltdown is possible because the plant had lost cooling ability in the aftermath of the earthquake. Japanese media say radiation levels are more than eight times normal outside the plant.

A nuclear industry body official said he believed the blast was due to hydrogen igniting.

Early estimates put damage from the quake and tsunami in the billions of dollars.

The first wall of water hit Japan's northeast coast just minutes after the first warning was sounded — not enough time for many to get to safety.

Police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicentre. It has a population of one million and is relatively flat.

The Kyodo news agency, quoting the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and local police, said the coastal city of Rikuzentakata was "virtually destroyed" by a tsunami wave.

"Our initial assessment indicated that there has already been enormous damage," said chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano.

Early morning television scenes bordered on the apocalyptic. Jumbled piles of vehicles could be seen in farmland flooded with several metres of water. People are still stranded on rooftops. Many others were seen standing on cut-off rural roads, surrounded by huge seas of standing water.

Rescue helicopters hovered over inundated homes, lifting people to safety.

Large fires raged unchecked in many areas. An out-of-control blaze burned through the night in a large section of Kesennuma, a city of 70,000 in Miyagi prefecture. Japanese broadcaster NHK said local authorities had no way of tackling it. In the city of Ichihara, flames shot 30 metres into the air from a fire at an oil refinery.

Earlier TV video showed hundreds of ships and cars that had been swept up by the water crashing into bridges and overpasses. Power was cut to millions of people in a wide swath in and near Tokyo.

Four trains running in coastal areas remained unaccounted for on Saturday, said the Kyodo news agency, citing the train operator, East Japan Railway Co.

Train service was suspended throughout much of northern Japan as authorities checked the integrity of rail lines. One train was derailed and a high-speed bullet train was stranded outside Tokyo.

A ship with 81 people onboard was ripped from its moorings at a shipyard in Miyagi. It was later found at sea and those on board are being airlifted to safety, AFP reported, citing a report from the Jiji news agency.

Many aftershocks

More than a hundred aftershocks rumbled through Japan in the hours following the first quake — some as powerful as magnitude 7.1. A 6.6-magnitude temblor rattled Tokyo residents in the early morning hours on Saturday.

TV video showed a large building on fire in the Odaiba district of Tokyo.

"In my apartment building, which is a three-storey building, it was shaking back and forth," said Craig Dale, a Tokyo-based freelance reporter.

Ian MacDougall, a Canadian translator living in Tokyo, said the quake came on "a lot harder and faster than they usually do." He was at home at the time.

"A siren I've never heard before started up, not rising and falling like they usually do, but rising to its highest pitch and stopping there in an electronic 'whoop, whoop, whoop,' he wrote in a CBC citizen blog. "A disembodied woman's voice announced there had been a large earthquake, and that we should move to our local point."

Yuri Komuro, a Canadian working for an IT company in Tokyo, was on the 14th floor of an office building when the quake hit. "I decided to try out the subway to get closer to home. I couldn't reach all the way home, but fortunately, I was able to make it to my husband's parents' home where I met up with my husband too. My hands were shaking, panicking," she wrote.

From Andrew Horvath, a Canadian living in Kyoto: "There were warnings immediately, telling people to stay away from coastlines and to seek higher ground or to go to the third or fourth floors of the buildings they were in," he said.

Tsunami warnings and advisories were quickly issued for the entire Pacific region, including the west coasts of South America, the U.S. and Canada. Most of the warnings have now been cancelled.

A tsunami advisory was cancelled late Friday along the B.C. coast. No unusual wave activity was noticed in B.C.

In Hawaii, a two-metre-high wave hit parts of Maui and smaller waves hit Oahu and Kauai. In northern California, authorities were searching for a man believed swept out to sea.

Condolences and offers of aid poured in from around the world, including Canada. Japan has requested search and rescue teams from several countries.

UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon said the United Nations would do everything it can to help. The U.S. is sending another aircraft carrier to the region along with equipment that can lift huge loads.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he spoke Friday with Japan's ambassador to Canada. "I offered any support and assistance that may be needed by that country," Harper told a news conference in Guelph, Ont.

"Our officials at the Canadian embassy in Tokyo are working with Japanese authorities to determine whether any Canadians have been injured by the earthquake or the tsunami."

So far, there are no reports of Canadian casualties.

Quake moved Honshu 2.5 metres

Japan is used to earthquakes and has instituted strict building codes and carries out frequent earthquake and tsunami drills. But the sheer intensity of Friday's disaster was such that even the best preparation could only mitigate the tragedy.

Officials said the initial quake was the most powerful one to hit the region in 1,200 years. The USGS says the force of the quake was so strong that Honshu — Japan's biggest island — was moved 2.5 metres to the east.

The quake was 8,000 times more powerful than the one that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, in February.

The Canadian Red Cross quickly launched a Japan Earthquake/Tsunami fund. In the first nine hours, officials told CBC News that Canadians had donated $176,000.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also set up a Family Links website to help people trying to re-establish contact with missing family members and friends. The ICRC says the worst hit areas are in the prefectures of Miyagi, ***ushima, Tochigi and Ibaraka.

Source

So, according to this story, four trains are missing, not just two. And two nuclear power plants have had significant damage done to them.

So, between that and the ongoing aftershocks, it seems obvious that the death toll is going to keep on rising. I mean, there are huge swatches of land, large as cities, that remain on fire at this point in time.

It may be dramatic to call this scene apocalyptic, but it feels rather accurate, no?

**sunnykerr** · 03-12-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Foreign Search Teams Rush to Japan After Quake

International search and rescue teams rushed to Japan Saturday in the wake of a huge 8.9-magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami, while one of Afghanistan's most violent provinces offered $50,000 in aid.

A 66-strong Japanese team which has spent more than two weeks searching the rubble left by last month's 6.3-magnitude quake in Christchurch in New Zealand was making hasty preparations to return home to confront the unfolding tragedy.

The United States said it was sending nearly 150 rescue workers to the disaster zone, among them a team from Los Angeles that had only returned from New Zealand two days ago.

From Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, to the Dalai Lama and entertainer Lady Gaga, the world has rallied to support Japan, where tsunami waves up to 10 metres (33 feet) high rolled across the low-lying northeast on Friday, washing away everything in their path.

Governments around the world offered their help, with United States President Barack Obama ordering emergency aid, including an aircraft carrier, to Japan after the catastrophe he described as "simply heartbreaking."

The US Agency for International Development said it was sending two teams of some 72 personnel, dogs and around 75 tonnes of rescue equipment each.

Meanwhile China's Red Cross also pledged 1 million yuan ($150,000) to its Japanese counterpart, state media reported.

With more than 1,000 people feared dead and authorities scrambling to prevent meltdown at two nuclear plants, Japanese officials have asked other nations to provide sniffer dogs to help search for trapped survivors.

Australia, South Korea and Singapore will all send dogs and search and rescue teams, their governments said Saturday as they expressed their condolences to Tokyo.

Britain will send a specialist team of search and rescue experts to Japan the government said.

Following a direct appeal from the Japanese government, Britain will dispatch a team of 59 fire service search and rescue specialists, two rescue dogs and a medical support team to join the international relief effort.

The team will take up to 11 tonnes of specialist rescue equipment, including heavy lifting and cutting equipment.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said his government was "prepared to throw anything and everything at this", as his country deployed 72 search and rescue experts.

India, which was hard hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, said it stood in "full solidarity" with the people of Japan, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telling his counterpart Naoto Kan "our resources are at your disposal."

In a message to the Japanese prime minister the Dalai Lama, who has a huge following among Japanese Buddhists, expressed his "sadness" at the catastrophe and praised Japan's high level of disaster preparedness for saving lives.

"On behalf of the residents of Kandahar, mayor Ghulam Haidar Hamidi announced $50,000 in aid to the people affected by earthquakes and tsunami in Japan," a statement from Kandahar's provincial governor said.

New Zealand, which had been helped by Japanese rescuers who sifted through Christchurch rubble for survivors, will send 48 urban search and rescue staff to the earthquake-zone -- one-third of its search and rescue personnel.
The United Nations has said that about 60 international teams from more than 45 states were on alert to assist Japan if asked.

Source

So it's reassuring that so many are willing to help. I do hope that the countries deliver on their promises of help and that this help will be around long enough to see this through.

vc318 · 03-12-2011, 10:28 AM

Thanks for that news, Sunny.

I know there was a huge concern about one of the nuclear reactors leaking yesterday and unfortunately it blew today:

Explosion at Japan nuke plant, disaster toll rises - World - MiamiHerald.com

Sheesh, that's terrible. Just terrible.

**sunnykerr** · 03-12-2011, 10:46 AM

Well, you know me, I'll do anything to get people actually discussing things on this board.

Anyway, I've added tags to the thread as well now.

**MyzButterfly** · 03-12-2011, 02:26 PM

Wow this is just dreadful!

Comfortably Numb · 03-12-2011, 09:07 PM

I am so happy other countries are willing to help.

silver lining · 03-13-2011, 07:10 AM

The scale of the devastation is just so huge

10,000 people in Myagi prefecture alone unaccounted for.

I just hope other countries give as much aid as they can.

**Lemurian** · 03-13-2011, 07:56 AM

There are some incredible before and after pictures at ABC News. These really show how dreadful the damage is.

Hover over each satellite photo to view the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.

**sunnykerr** · 03-13-2011, 01:42 PM

I think that, aside from the obvious need to focus on the recovery effort, the most pressing thing seems to be making sure there is no huge nuclear cataclysm that comes on top of the natural catastrophe.

I'm not positive, but I do believe there is still danger that something really devastating could happen at the Onagawa power plant. They seem to be struggling with cooling down the reactors and, meanwhile, they've evacuated people within a certain distance, but even that seems a bit like not enough.

There were mentions on the news of mass distribution of iodine tablets...

So we're all waiting with bated breath and hoping like mad that the reactors hold on.


Fan Forum > General Discussion > News & Politics > Thousands dead in Japan after 9.0 earthquake