TOKYO – DRIFT…….

The world's strongest earthquakes and Tsunamis

Reports Says 10,000 dead

  

Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 627 people were injured.

At 2.46 pm Japan time, 8.9 on the Richter scale struck at a depth of 24.4 km below the ocean's surface, 130 km (80 miles from the coastal city of Honshu and 373 km (231 miles) from Tokyo

The tsunami waves in excess of 10 meters in height, struck the port of Sendai and devastated a large part of North East Japan

This is reported to be the worst ever earthquake in 140 years

All public transport, rail, air, port and mobile services were shut down. Schools are providing shelter.

Nuclear power emergency declared. Five plants shut down.

A fire broke out at Oganawa nuclear plant in NE Japan and has since been extinguished

The Yen dropped, Nikkei closed at a five-week low and all other world markets are trading lower than usual.

Honda has stopped operations at its assembly plant in Saitama, near Tokyo

As many as 80 buildings, many of them in Tokyo, burst into flames as a result of the earth quake.

4 million households have been deprived of electricity

Tsunami alert on the Pacific Coast; Hawaii experiences a 4.9 magnitude quake; Taiwan, Russia, Chile on high alert. Hawaii, Russia and Taiwan have evacuated people from the danger areas.

US, Britain and India have offered to help the Japanese government. The Indian embassy has also assured that 25,000 Indians in Japan are safe.

US, China and Switzerland offer a rescue team.