Earthquake, tsunami claim 1000 lives in Japan

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Earthquake, tsunami claim 1000 lives in Japan

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At least 1000 people were killed and hundreds of others were missing in an earthquake in Japan.

11 March,2011 12:14 pm

Ten-metres tall waves of tsunami hit the port in Sendai in northern Japan after a huge 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast on Friday, with at least 390 people killed and hundreds of others injured and missing.The violent flow of water swept away everything in the city, including costal boats and city cars while water has also entered houses and buildings. Authorities have issued a decree to evacuate the coastal areas of the city.The earthquake has rocked buildings while fire broke out in oil refineries and various city dwellings. According to another report, the roof of a school caved in, injuring scores of students. The Sendai Airport has been completely inundated while five atomic electricity generating centres have been shut down for security reasons. As a result, electricity supply to four million houses has been suspended. Many people saved their lives by taking refuge under office tables and desks.The Japanese prime minister has set up a taskforce to deal with emergency situation. The Japanese yen has been devaluated against dollar. Tsunami warnings have been issued for 57 countries of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Guam, Philippines, Indonesia, Chile, Mexico and Hawaii.