An 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck the northeast coast of Japan yesterday, triggering a tsunami which has devastated many parts of the country, including Tokyo.
The quake, Japan’s largest ever, triggered a series of huge waves which have surged inland, destroying houses, buildings and cars. The official death toll from the disaster currently sits at 137, with the final number expected to be well over a thousand. Many more people are missing, particularly in coastal areas such as Sendai and Fukushima, where authorities last night had the additional fear of nuclear facilities going into meltdown.
Much of the Pacific, including Indonesia, New Zealand and the West Coast of America were put on Tsunami alert last night after meteorologists warned that the aftershock could extend well beyond Japan’s borders. A second 6.6 magnitude quake hit Tokyo at about 6am AEST this morning. Reports have already come of tsunami waves hitting Hawaii and Mexico, and a man has been swept away in California after trying to photograph the incoming waves.
The world community, particularly online, have sprung to action quickly to help those in need. Google launched a Person Finder for those trying to locate loved ones, while warnings were relayed to others around the world via Twitter, particularly the hashtag #tsunami, which is still updating thousands of times per second.
We’ll update you with further news as it comes to hand and extend our sincere condolences to those affected.
