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Japan was struck by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter.
Japanese police said at least 60 people were killed and 56 were listed as missing following the disaster.
In various locations along Japan's coast, TV footage showed massive damage from the tsunami, with dozens of cars, boats and even buildings being carried along by waters. A large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan appeared on national television hours after the quake, urging residents to help each other where possible but to remain calm and cautious as the damage was assessed. He said the country's northeast coast had sustained "major damage".Kan said some of Japan's nuclear power facilities in the northeast shut down automatically during quake, but that there were no indications of leaks. A utility company in northeastern Japan reported a fire in a turbine building of nuclear power plant. The plant's electrical cooling system was not working, which prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency at the plant, but officials said no leaks were detected.The government's top spokesman, Yukio Edano, said that the country was sending troops to the quake-hit area to join relief efforts.Kan also said that he has set up an emergency task force for rescue effort. "The government will make an all-out effort to ensure the safety of all the people and contain the damage to the minimum," Kan said.
The quake -- the most powerful to hit Japan in recorded history -- that struck at 2:46 p.m. was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, including a 7.4-magnitude one about 30 minutes later. The U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the strength of the first quake to a magnitude 8.9, while Japan's meteorological agency measured it at 7.9.
CBS
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