Japan quake, tsunami death toll risesThis Just In - CNN.com Blogs. An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan early Friday, triggering tsunamis that sent a wave filled with boats and houses toward land.
Are you in an affected area? Send an iReport. Read the full report on how the quake hit Japan and generated a Pacific-wide tsunami. [10:30 p.m. ET, 12:30 p.m. . [10:20 p.m. . [9:54 p.m. He also said that authorities are concerned over the possibility of another meltdown at a second reactor. "We do believe that there is a possibility that meltdown has occurred. Edano's comments confirm an earlier report from an official with Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, who said, "we see the possibility of a meltdown. " A meltdown is a catastrophic failure of the reactor core, with a potential for widespread radiation release. . [9:35 p.m. "Somehow, we can hang in there, I hope. "We need foreign countries' help," she said, choking back tears. At least 49 countries and the European Union have offered relief to Japan, and supplies and personnel are on the way.
Quake Warning System Provided Seconds of Notice for Tokyo - PCWorld Business Center. A one-of-its-kind early warning system provided seconds of advance notice to many residents of Tokyo shortly before a massive earthquake rocked the Japanese capital on Friday afternoon.
The system went into operation in 2007 and links more than a thousand seismographs across Japan. Each location is linked to a central computer that attempts to detect the weak but fast-moving primary waves that are generated by an earthquake and use them to triangulate the location of the quake and estimate its size. The amount of warning provided depends on the distance from the earthquake's epicenter. Those closest to the source of the quake and susceptible to the strongest shaking get little or no warning. The warnings begin to make a difference around 50 to 100 kilometers from the epicenter of a strong quake, where up to 30 seconds warning can be provided. On Friday afternoon, the system sprung into action and a warning flashed automatically on television screens.
March 11, 2011 Honshu tsunami propagation. Japan nuclear alert and earthquake - live coverage. Good morning, this is David Batty with live coverage of the aftermath of the devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, causing a tsunami.
A huge rescue mission is underway on Saturday amid growing fears of radiation leaks at nuclear power stations damaged by the disaster. Here's a round-up of events so far in Japan on Saturday. •There are growing fears about damage to two nuclear power stations following Friday's 8.9 magnitute earthquake. There has been an explosion at a building at one of the plants, Fukushima No 1 in Futuba, 150 miles (240km) north of Tokyo. Japanese authorities have extended the evacuation area at the Fukushima No 2 plant to 10km, the same distance as for Fukushima No 1 plant. •The death toll from the disaster is expected to exceed 1,300, with most deaths due to drowning. •The tsunami swept about six miles (10km) inland in some areas. For more details of events in Japan overnight and this morning, please check our earlier live blog.
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Japan earthquake live blog: Death toll rises amid widespread destruction.