Post date: Mar 11, 2011 1:3:48 PM
An oil refinery is ablaze after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, the biggest in 140 years.
ICHIHARA, CHIBA PREFECTURE, JAPAN (MARCH 11, 2011) NHK - The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began 140 years ago struck the northeast coast on Friday (March 11), triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, ships, cars and farm buildings on fire.
At least 22 people were killed in the quake and tsunami, Kyodo news agency said, and the extent of the
destruction, and the forecast for the tsunami, suggested the death toll could rise significantly.The 8.9 magnitude quake caused many injuries, sparked fires and the wall of water, prompting warnings to people to move to higher ground in coastal areas.
Some nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and a refinery and a major steel plant was ablaze.
An oil refinery near the city was on fire, with dozens of storage tanks under threat.
Local television showed pictures of fire trucks at the oil refinery trying to put out the huge fire.
Around 4.4 million homes were without power in northern Japan, media said. A hotel collapsed in the city of Sendai and people were feared buried in the rubble.
There were several strong aftershocks. In Tokyo, buildings shook violently.
The quake was the biggest since records began 140 years ago, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It surpasses the Great Kanto quake of Sept. 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.