The quake unleashed a tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tonnes of debris kilometres inland. Here the tsunami strikes shores along Iwanuma. (Photo courtesy Kyodo News/AP)
Friday, March 11, 2011 – The largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history struck offshore on Friday, and police say they’ve found as many as 300 bodies in the north-eastern coastal area that bore the brunt of the tremors and ensuing tsunami. The earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time on Friday afternoon, at a depth of 10 kilometres about 125 kilometres off the eastern coast, and was followed by at least 19 powerful aftershocks.
Japan’s meteorological agency said the initial earthquake registered at a magnitude of 8.8, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it measured a magnitude 8.9 — enough to rank it fifth among all quakes registered in the past 111 years. Most of the aftershocks registered at 6.0, with one reaching 7.1. Residents of coastal areas were urged to move to higher ground in advance of more devastating waves that experts warn could hit nations throughout Southeast Asia and reach as far away as South America, Alaska, the U.S. West Coast and British Columbia.
