Tsunami Japan Pictures

Tsunami demolishes Japan's north coast

Tsunami Japan Pictures

A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast today, killing hundreds of people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control.

Tsunami Japan Pictures

In Sendai, a city of 1m closest to the undersea quake’s epicentre, power remained cut off late on Friday night. The pitch dark was broken only by fires at a burning oil refinery. Video from a military helicopter showed much of Kesennuma, a community of 70,000 north of Sendai, engulfed in flames. Local police were reported to have found the bodies of hundreds of people drowned by the tsunami.

Tsunami Japan Pictures

Tsunami Japan Pictures

Tsunami Japan Pictures

The wall of water that washed over coastal towns, carrying whole communities with it, left at least 1,000 dead, according to Japanese media reports. The 8.9-magnitude quake that triggered it also forced the evacuation of thousands around a nuclear power plant north of Tokyo.