Hundreds of people have been killed in a massive earthquake in Japan that triggered a devastating tsunami.The quake -- the most powerful to hit Japan in more than 100 years -- caused massive damage and many people are missing and feared dead.
The 8.9 magnitude quake struck Friday off Japan's eastern coast,and prompted tsunami warnings across the Pacific as far away as South America and the U.S.West Coast.The Red Cross warned that the 10-meter high tidal wave could wash over some small islands entirely.
In Japan,the tsunami swept away boats,cars and hundreds of houses in coastal areas north of Tokyo.
The quake shook buildings in the Japanese capital and caused several fires.All train and subway traffic in Tokyo has been stopped,and thousands of people there were unable to get back home.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 3,000 people from the area around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant north of Tokyo.No radiation leaks were detected,but officials are concerned the reactor's core may overheat due to a system malfunction.A fire was also reported earlier in the turbine building of the Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi.
Addressing the nation,Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the government would do everything it can to minimize the effects of the disaster.And in Washington,President Barack Obama said the United States is ready to help the people of Japan.The U.S.military in Japan has opened up the Yokota Air Base to some commercial flights diverted from Japanese airports.
日本的大規(guī)模地震造成數(shù)百人死亡.這次地震引發(fā)了毀滅性的海嘯.這次日本100年來最強烈的地震造成大規(guī)模的損失,許多人失蹤,甚至恐怕已經(jīng)死亡.
這次8.9級的地震星期五發(fā)生在日本東海岸125公里外,引發(fā)了環(huán)太平洋地區(qū)海嘯警報,涉及范圍遠至南美地區(qū)和整個美國西海岸.紅十字會警告說,10米高的巨浪可能將把一些小島整個淹沒.
在日本,海嘯沖走了東京以北的沿海地區(qū)的船只、汽車和數(shù)百幢房屋.
地震震動了日本首都的建筑物,并引起了幾起火災.東京所有火車和地鐵停止運行,數(shù)以千計的人無法回家.
當局下令將東京以北的福島核電廠周圍大約3千人撤出這一地區(qū).盡管沒有探測到任何核泄漏,但官員們擔心系統(tǒng)故障可能導致反應器的核心過熱.早些時候的報導說,宮城縣附近的女川核電廠發(fā)電機組發(fā)生火災.
日本首相菅直人向全國發(fā)表講話.他說,政府將盡其所能把災害的影響控制在最小程度.在華盛頓,美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬說,美國準備隨時幫助日本人民.駐日美軍向無法在日本機場降落的一些商業(yè)飛機開放了橫田空軍基地.