India is perturbed and in a state of shock at the calmity that engulfed Japan in the form of earthquake of 8.9 magnitude, nearly in a century today that triggered a massive tsunami , swept everything, that came in its path, including houses, ships and cars and set off buildings on fire, and atleast killing 60 people which could go up significantly as full reports of damage to buildings in the quake start pouring in. Ship carrying about 100 people was also washed away by the huge 33-foot tidal waves in Japan's northeast coast.Its whereabout and fate was not known, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing, Miyagi prefecture police. water wall of several kilometres wide, triggered by the earthquake, the most powerful since the 1923 tremor in Great Kanto area in Tokyo and its vicinity, which was 7.9 on Richter scale that had killed about 140,000 people, carried all that it destroyed deep into the mainland. Buildings, even in far away Tokyo, shook vigorously and live footage by NHK showed a wide, muddy stream moving rapidly across a residential area near Natori River in Miyagi, levelling everything in its path. The quake struck at 2:46 pm local time (11:16 am IST) .Alerts were issued across the Pacific, including areas as far away as South America, US west coast, Canada and Alaska. Australia, Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia .Tsunami alerts reviving the memories of the 2004 tsunami. Tidal waves swept fishing boats, cars, and buildings that were seen bobbing in the water. Several other boats and ships were lying on their sides. The disaster also left the entire region in dark without power while nuclear power stations shut automatically. Japan declared a state of atomic power emergency after the earthquake, while saying that no radiation leaks had been detected at or near any nuclear power plants so far. Residents in the vicinity of the nuclear plants were asked to leave. International Atomic Energy Agency was collecting details from contacts with Japan's industry ministry as it said in a statement that at least four nuclear power plants "closest to the quake have been safely shut down". As per the ministry, a total of 11 nuclear reactors shut down automatically at the Onagawa plant, Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants and Tokai No. 2 plant, after the biggest-magnitude quake in the country's modern history. A fire broke out in one of the nuclear facilities, but authorities claimed they had detected no abnormalities of radiation leakege etc.
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