9,500 people missing in Minamisanriku 24 hours after ... · Official death toll hits 574, but...

Click here to print

By Wil LongbottomLast updated at 6:15 PM on 12th March 2011

9,500 people missing in Minamisanriku 24 hours after double disaster struckOfficial death toll hits 574, but hundreds believed to be buried under rubble orwashed away by wavesExplosion at nuclear power plant, but experts say reactor is not at riskRegion hit by repeated aftershocks, some up 6.8-magnitudeRescue operation begins but some areas still cut off by road damage and floodwatersForce of quake shifts Japan 8ft to the East

Half of the population of a Japanese coastal town are still unaccounted for as the death toll from themassive earthquake and tsunami looks set to rise.

Government officials revealed the fate of 9,500 people in the north eastern port of Minamisanriku was stillunknown more than 24 hours after the double disaster hit.

The official death toll stands at 574, but more than 1,700 people are believed to have been buried in therubble or washed away by the waves.

Japan earthquake and tsunami: 10,000 people missing in Minamisanriku... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365569/Japan-earthquake-ts...

1 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Catastrophe: The true scale of the devastation that the tsunami unleashed is clear in thispicture of the port city of Minamisanriku town where 10,000 people are unaccounted for

Rescue teams have been unable to reach some areas after the 9-magnitude quake destroyed and cut offairports on the country's east coast.

Japan launched a massive military rescue operation today after the quake killed hundreds of people and leftpart of the northeastern coast a swampy wasteland.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops would join rescue and recovery efforts after a 30ft tsunamismashed through towns, airports and submerged highways.

The official death toll currently stands at 586, but 784 people were still missing and more than 1,000 injured.

Police said between 200 and 300 bodies have been found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in thearea near the quake's epicentre.


2 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Missing: Half of the population of the port of Minamisanriku are still unaccounted for afterthe tsunami hit yesterday

Disaster: White smoke rises from houses still burning in Yamadamachi more than 24hours after the massive earthquake struck


3 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Scale of destruction: A tanker has been washed ashore by the massive wave in KamaishiCity

Untold numbers of bodies are believed to be buried in the rubble and debris.

Rail operators lost contact with four trains running on coastal lines on Friday and still had not found them bythis morning.

East Japan Railway Co. said it did not know how many people were aboard the trains.

More than 215,000 people are living in temporary shelters in five states and a million homes have been leftwithout water.

The region has continued to be hit with aftershocks 24 hours after the initial quake, which struck at 5:46amGMT 80 miles off the east Japan coast.

More than 125 aftershocks have occurred, many of them above 6 on the Richter scale.

Japan is well prepared for quakes and its buildings can withstand strong jolts, but there was little that couldbe down about the killer tsunami.


4 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Gutted: Smoke billows from vessels off the harbour in Kesennuma


5 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Cut off: The town of Yamamoto was swamped by the massive wave and, right, twobridges, one of which was being built, were badly damaged in Namegata by the

9-magnitude quake

Apocalyptic: A lone cyclist makes his way through a debris-choked street in Miyako

It swept inland around six miles in some areas, swallowing homes, boats, car, trees and even aircraft.

Koichi Takairin, a 34-year-old truck driver who was inside his lorry when the wave hit Sendai, said: 'Thetsunami was unbelievably fast.

'Smaller cars were being swept around me. All I could do was sit in my truck.'


6 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said: 'Most of the houses along the coastline were washed away, and fire brokeout there. I realised the extremely serious damage the tsunami caused.'

A total of 190 military aircraft and 25 ships have been sent to the affected areas.

International aid has also begun arriving, including a team from the UN disaster relief team.

Supplies at supermarkets and petrol stations have been running low as hundreds of people queued up alongthe eastern coastline.

Scale of the devastation: A satellite image from the National Space Organisation showsSendai before the earthquake, left, and after

Damage: This satellite image shows towers that have collapsed at the Kirin plant inSendai


7 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Rescue: Workers look for missing people in Yamamoto, but many areas are still cut off bydamage to roads or flood waters

Tsunami warnings were issued to the entire Pacific seaboard, but the worst fears were not realised.Widespread damage was caused to some coast areas, including California, but there were no reports offatalities.

President Barack Obama has pledged U.S. assistance and said one aircraft carrier was already in Japanand a second was on its way.

Japan's worst previous earthquake was an 8.3-magnitude temblor in Kanto which killed 143,000 people in1923. A 7.2-magnitude quake in Kobe killed 6,400 people in 1995.

The country lies on the 'Ring of Fire' - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching across thePacific where around 90 per cent of the world's quakes occur.


8 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Counting the cost: People walk past a car that has been washed into a wall in Miyako


9 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening


10 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Shelter: A young girl watches the news in a community centre in Fukushima, where anexplosion destroyed a building at a nuclear power plant earlier today


11 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Carnage: Boats, cars and buildings lie in ruins in Miyako and, right, rescue workerssurvey the damage from the top of a shattered building in Rikuzentakada

An estimated 230,000 people in 12 countries were killed after a quake triggered a massive tsunami onBoxing Day, 2004, in the Indian Ocean.

A magnitude 8.8 quake which struck off the coast of Chile in February last year also generated a tsunamiwhich killed 524 people. Authorities mistakenly told people in coastal regions there was no danger of atsunami.

People:Barack Obama

Places:Chile,Japan,Indian Ocean

Comments (20)

NewestOldestBest ratedWorst rated

View all

David of London You are spot on! My thoughts every time there is an earthquake in San Francisco bay area. We had to comehere from UK and I hate living here. Hopefully can leave for wonderful UK some day. I try and keep supplies for the 'big one'which is coming but hard to keep them up to date. I have been watching the coverage of Japans quake and it surely hits home inCa.

- Sw, Ca., 12/3/2011 17:59

Click to rate Rating 1

Report abuse


12 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

UNBELIEVABLE!

- rogerw, stone, staffs, 12/3/2011 17:54


Report abuse

Whoever tries to make this a "Global Warming" event needs to be flogged. And I've already seen media reports about it. Enoughalready!!!!

- Frank LeMoyne, Disunited States of Obama, 12/3/2011 17:51


Report abuse

The most significant reason there is life on planet Earth is because she herself is quite alive. As she spins and shifts about, theenvironments necessary for myriad lifeforms are produced. This is done on a scale that darkly shadows the comprehension ofhumanity. The catastrophic damage and loss of life is a plot-line that has been played out on this ball of life, death and rebirthnumerous times. It is merely the price we pay to exist. - Ronald Sander B.Sc., Vancouver, BC, 12/3/201117:08..............................youv'e managed to say nothing on four lines. Impossible to know which way to arrow .

- Helen, Devon, 12/3/2011 17:26


Report abuse

- David, London, 12/3/2011 10:08 --------------------- Are you actually trying to be serious? Well over half the worlds populationlives in a potential disaster zone. What exactly do you propose? That everyone evacuate every single country that borders atectonic plate boundry? And where are they all going to go exactly? England? -------------------------------------------------------- You'rebasically saying every country that borders the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, mostof India, China, and virtually all of both the North and South American continents should be abandoned. That means you haveabout 3 billion people to relocate, and oh yeah, you're abandoning over half the worlds agricultural development, so expect acouple of billion people to die of starvation.

- Completely Average, Somewhere, 12/3/2011 17:23


Report abuse

its the end of the world!!!! 2012 i can see it

- someone , from somewhere, 12/3/2011 17:15


Report abuse

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Today's headlinesMost Read

Japan battles explosion at nuclear reactorTerrifying pictures reveal full horror of Japan's worst quakeDramatic videos show the moment the earthquake struck13 dead after tour bus crashes on New York highwayTesco recruits store managers in SLOVAKIA after British workers shun supermarket jobsDaughter came face-to-face with mother's killer fleeing from bedroom window minutes after committing murderRebel forces driven out of key oil city as Gaddafi troops fire relentless artillery barragesIncredible swarms of fish form off coast of AcapulcoPolice left man floating face down in 2ft boating lake for half-hour over elf 'n safety fearsBetrayed by my killer mother: The daughter of child-killer Lianne Smith reveals how she callously ignored years of sexabuse by her TV hypnotist loverNot tonight, dear, I'm feeling too fat: Half of women avoid sex with partners because of their weightSquabbling gay lovers sparked Heathrow terror alert with hoax bomb call


13 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

Our own EU chief shoots down Cameron's no-fly zone as PM warns Europe 'must do more'The number one excuse: Right to a family life lets foreign convicts stay in UKThe Downton Delusion: We love dramas about upstairs, downstairs life, but real Edwardian England saw a pamperedfew exploiting the poor majorityAn Innocent mistake: Mother battles drinks giant over the name of her vitamin tabletsRaoul Moat's henchmen are convicted of helping him carry out massacreDon't let unions ruin my reforms says pension tsar, Lord HuttonNurse fined £75 for putting black bag next to wheelie binPrince Andrew pulls out of arms sale trip to Saudi ArabiaNo loyalty! Tesco sells details of your shopping habits for £53mPictured: The man left floating face down in 2ft-deep boating lake for half an hour by police who feared for their ownsafetyHow Facebook is turning women into stalkers: A third of online victims are now menMORE HEADLINES

Betrayed by my killer mother: Woman who smothered toddlers in a Spanish hotel callously ignored sex abuse of eldestgirl by TV hypnotist loverThousands undergo radioactive screening after explosion in nuclear power stationDevastation and despair: Terrifying pictures reveal full horror of Japan's worst quakeTsunami wreaks millions of dollars of damage on Californian harbours as giant waves smash U.S. west coast'Cleo wants to kill me': Graduate star Katharine Ross takes out restraining order after daughter 'stabs her with scissors'Cheryl Cole's brother jailed for six years for armed robbery plotThe tottering towers of Tokyo: Dramatic videos show the moment the earthquake struckIncredible swarms of fish form off coast of Acapulco: But was surge caused by tsunami thousands of miles away?Pictured: Charity shop worker who was 'left to die' in 3ft of water because rescue workers were worried about their ownhealth and safetyFires light up Japanese night after mega-quake and huge tsunami which wiped out towns, killed over 1,000 and cutpower to millionsWiped off the map: How apocalyptic tsunami waves drowned a sleepy coast townAre we there yet? Couple travel the world for 11 years having four children along the way...and they're still goingSix-mile exclusion zone placed around crippled nuclear reactor as radiation hits 1,000 times safe levelThe big pictures: The moment Japan's cataclysmic tsunami engulfed a nationRetail giant Tesco recruits store bosses from SLOVAKIA after British workers shun supermarket jobsAn Innocent mistake: Mother battles drinks giant over the name of her vitamin tabletsHeathrow terror alert was sparked by hoax bomb call after gay lovers' tiffTwo legs good, six legs better! Chihuahua triplets adapt to life without front pawsNumber one excuse: Right to a family life lets foreign convicts stay in UKMore intelligent than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking... the schoolgirl, 11, with an IQ of 162Swept away by the tsunami: 10,000 people missing in flattened town which bore brunt of killer wave caused bymegaquakeRace to hospital: Students down lethal amounts of alcohol in deadly game where aim is to be the first in A&EI've got it! First man to get an iPad 2 in New York. Then he's off back to France on 8pm flightMOST READ IN DETAIL

Find this story at www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365569/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-10-000-people-missing-Minamisanriku.html

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group


14 of 15 03/12/2011 07:44 Evening

9,500 people missing in Minamisanriku 24 hours after ... · Official death toll hits 574, but...

Documents

Transcript of 9,500 people missing in Minamisanriku 24 hours after ... · Official death toll hits 574, but...