Japanese Authorities have reported that 200 to 300 bodies have been found in the city of Sendai, the closest major city to the quake's epicenter. Another 110 were confirmed killed, with 350 people missing.
Frankly,I'm surprised the death toll has been this low so far.
The massive 8.9 quake is the largest in Japanese history, and the fifth largest recorded since 1900.It was followed for hours by more than 50 aftershocks, many of them greater than 6.0.
Here's a couple of statistics for you. This quake was nearly 8,000 times stronger than one that struck New Zealand late last month. "The energy radiated by this quake is nearly equal to one month's worth of energy consumption" in the United States, U.S. Geological Survey Scientist Brian Atwater told The Associated Press.
Tsunami warnings are in force in virtually the entire Pacific coast. The first waves hit Hawaii in the early-morning hours Friday.
Officials warned that the waves would continue and could become larger.
President Barack Obama issued a statement saying that the U.S. is ready to assist Japan. "The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy."
China's Premier Wen Jiabao offered aid as well, issuing a statement expressing "deep sympathy and solicitude to the Japanese government and the people".
The government of Israel also offered aid to Japan. Israeli foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman immediately directed Israel’s ambassador in Tokyo, Nissim Ben- Sheetrit, to offer any aid to the Japanese government that it may need in dealing with this tragedy. The Israelis have highly trained crews with experience in rescuing people from rubble, and amazed reporters and aid missions from other countries with the efficiency of their mobile field hospitals and rescue operations in Haiti.
Japan is heavily dependent on nuclear energy, and many plants automatically shut down when the quake hit. The Japanese are working on getting them online again, but millions are still without power.
1 comment:
this from the essay:
"The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy."
i am scanning back through ff essays on the japanese tragedy. i saw this when he first posted it. upon re-reading this essay, i can't believe he said this. this man has got to be the dumbest waste of protoplasm on earth.
if bush had said something like this the leftist media weenies would be screaming while their collective progressive heads exploded. which would be quite nice, really.
in the aftermath of an earthquake, this dumm mass has the unmitigated gall to call the relationship "unshakable"???????
aside from wondering what the literal translation to japanese will sound like, i have a few insensitive things to say about the current occupant of the white house.
but they will get me banned at J/P.
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