Post date: Mar 11, 2011 3:12:47 PM
Chaos reigns in the capital Tokyo after an earthquake hitting the northeastern coast of Japan sows panic and fear in residents.
TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 11, 2011) REUTERS - Media reports say, at least one woman is confirmed dead and 35 injured in the capital Tokyo after a ceiling collapsed at the Kudan Kaikan Building during a school graduation on Friday (March 11) following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan.
In northern Japan some 200 to 300 bodies were reported to have washed up on a beach near Sendai city, some 400 kilometers north of the capital and the death toll is likely to continue to rise as a wide area along the north shores was also hit by massive tsunamis.In the capital Tokyo, rail services in Tokyo area were disrupted, stranding millions of residents in the hours following a powerful earthquake that struck and some people were stranded on the train.
"I was on the train when the shaking started, so it was very strong and quite scary." 22 year old college student said, only identified by last name of Mizutani.
Crowds of people trying to get home or to their loved ones packed the streets of downtown Tokyo, many trying to call their families on overloaded mobile phone networks.
In Tokyo the quake was strong enough to send people running out in to the street in fright.
Large sections of highways in the Tokyo metropolitan area and northeastern Japan were closed after the magnitude 8.9 quake hit at 2:46 p.m (0546GMT).
Air transportation was also heavily affected. 13,000 people and 10,000 people were stranded at Narita airport east of Tokyo and Tokyo's Haneda airport, respectively.