32 killed in major tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake

TOKYO - A powerful tsunamis generated by major earthquakes in the history of Japan slammed the East Coast on Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, houses and people, as well, fires raged out of control. Authorities said that at least 32 people were killed.
Magnitude 8.9 offshore earthquake was accompanied by at least 19 aftershocks, most of them more than 6.0 magnitude. Dozens of towns and villages along the 1300-mile (2100 km) stretch of coast were shaken by violent tremors, which reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter.
Tsunami warning was issued for the entire Pacific Ocean, including the areas as far away as South America, the whole west coast of the USA, Canada and Alaska.
Fire in Japan and Disaster Management Agency said at least 32 people were killed. Municipal enterprise in the north-east of Japan reported a fire in the turbine building nuclear power plants.
"The earthquake caused severe damage in the broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference.
Even for a country used to earthquakes, it was a horrific scale. He unleashed a 23-foot (7 meter) tsunami swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland.
Large fishing boats and other vessels that the sea was riding high waves in the cities, slamming against the overpasses. Overturned and partially submerged vehicles had been spotted bobbing in the water.
Waves of muddy water swept farmland near the city of Sendai, the holding of buildings, some of fire, both domestic cars tried to drive away. Sendai Airport, north of Tokyo, was inundated with cars, trucks, buses and sludge settles on its runways. Fires spread through part of the city, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Tsunami roared over the embankments, washing anything in its path inland before reversing direction and conduct of cars, houses and other debris from the sea. Flame shot out of some houses, probably due to pipe gas explosion.
"Our preliminary assessment indicates that there is huge damage," chief government spokesman Yukio Edano said. "We will make every effort to provide assistance on the basis of that assessment."
He said that the Ministry of Defence of sending troops to quake-hit region. Utility aircraft and several helicopters were on their way.
Major fire broke out at a refinery Cosmo Oil in Ichihara in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo and burned out of control with 100-foot (30 meter)-high flames whipping up at the sky.
In the northeastern Miyagi prefecture in Japan, a fire in the turbine building nuclear power plants. Smoke was observed coming out of the building, which is separate from the reactor plant, and the cause is under investigation, said Tohoku Electric Power Co. said in a statement.
There have been no reports of radioactive leaks or damage, the company said. Several nuclear power plants in other places on the coast were also partially closed, with no reports of leakage.
In addition, from Miyagi prefecture, NHK showed footage big ship being swept away and packed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 2:46 pm quake was magnitude 8.9, a major earthquake hit Japan since officials began to keep records in the late 1800's.
Tsunami warning has been extended to a number of Pacific, Southeast Asia and Latin America, including Japan, Russia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Chile. In the Philippines, authorities have said they expect a 3-foot (1 meter) high tsunami.
Earthquake at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the east coast, the agency said. The area is 240 miles (380 km) northeast of Tokyo.
In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the streets for safety. Television footage showed a large building on fire and the roar of smoke in the area of ​​Odaiba Tokyo. Bent tremor of the upper extremity of the iconic Tokyo Tower, 333 meters (1093 feet) of steel structures inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
In central Tokyo, the trains were stopped and the passengers walked Tracks platforms. NHK said that more than 4 million buildings were without electricity in Tokyo and its suburbs.
A large number of people waiting to Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, the busiest train station in the world, for service in the summary that they can return home. TV announcers urged workers not to leave their offices to prevent injuries in case of stronger quakes.