Japan Earthquake 2011: Devastating Photos Of The Wreckage

March 11 was a devastating day for Japan, after a magnitude-8.9 offshore earthquake violently rattled the nation's eastern coast before unleashing a deadly tsunami that swept away cars, homes and businesses as it touched land.

The Associated Press is reporting that up to 300 bodies have already been found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture (state) closest to the quake's epicenter, with another 88 were confirmed killed and at least 349 still missing.

Fear of a nuclear disaster rose when thousands of residents were evacuated from an area around the Fukushima plant after radiation levels rose in the reactor. The death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of the temblor.

Check updates on the disaster as they develop here.

View unbelievable photos of the destruction here:

Comments

[hfpf]

02:46 AM on 03/16/2011

But for the grace of God, do the rest of us survive.

[Cynthia Andrejdes]

09:03 AM on 03/15/2011

Their are no words for this disaster. May god help them!
cindy

[Bobzmcishl]

02:16 PM on 03/14/2011

We already have so called "experts" saying what happened to nuclear plants in Japan could not happen here. That's what the experts said about the Japanese nuclear plants. Why should we believe these people?

[Charles Wallace]

01:48 PM on 03/14/2011

Can we eat seafood anyone? Do you know where all of Tsunami waste will wind up? All of the waterways in the world will be effected! Let the " it is safe to eat" lies begin!

[MikeWebster]

12:56 AM on 03/15/2011

I'm still eating seafood, at least while stocks last.

[annarkey]

01:37 PM on 03/14/2011

There will be large numbers of dead and missing. The quake in 2004 is still remembered and people are still searching for those lost.

To complicate the Japanese earthquake, there are repeat sunamis and the cold weather which will make surviving impossible. One city of 17,000, expect that over 10,000 have died from the direct hit of the 30-40 foot wall of water.

[PDXTransplant]

01:22 PM on 03/14/2011

Here some before and after photos. Satellite photos show devastation in Japan NASA satellites have snapped new pictures of the devastating floods and fires in Japan from the deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck the country. Click on the photos to see full view.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42052263/ns/technology_and_science-space/from/toolbar

[Busterman]

01:08 PM on 03/14/2011

Thhttp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100079703/why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan/

This article is an outrage. The US needs to send some of our professionals to help with this.!!

[Bigwave48]

01:04 PM on 03/14/2011

This could be on the level of the worst disaster in modern history. Do we need to rethink the future nuclear plants. Could this be a wake up call for the United States. We have the ability to change our course and become the leader in green energy. I think its time for a push in this direction. Mass transit, is also a good way saving our countries resources, for the future generations. We know its not going to last forever.

[MikeWebster]

12:59 AM on 03/15/2011

I agree with what you say. I think it is too early to know what level of problems the problems at the power plants will cause though.

In the meantime the overwhelming problem for the world is climate change - so any time a coal fired power plant gets built, that's another nail in our coffins. Nuclear may well be worth risking as a short term way of buying time for some of the greener energies to come on line.

[Ajay Nishad]

12:49 PM on 03/14/2011

Full News & Video at this link : http://bit.ly/ifAwal
Fear of a nuclear disaster rose when thousands of residents were evacuated from an area around the Fukushima plant after radiation levels rose in the reactor.

[Roseberry]

12:23 PM on 03/14/2011

"Devastating Photos?" Nope. Those are photos of devastation. The photos themselves (far as I know) have not hurt anyone yet.
Okay, I'll grant you, those photos hurt our hearts when we see what they depict.

[Vcubed]

12:47 PM on 03/14/2011

Yes, it's a silly headline. I don't like it when people gush.

[maidenofdforest]

11:43 AM on 03/14/2011

Natural disasters will put any nation in peril even if they are highly industrialized nation. We hope Japan can recover, its people. For now, they cannot probably grieve but think only of surviving the turmoil and dislocation.

[TrickyDOTcom]

11:01 AM on 03/14/2011

Praying for them in this time of trail. I say prepare you folks, what can happen there can and will happen here. Peace.

[whyus]

10:56 AM on 03/14/2011

This is the worst disaster I've seen in my lifetime.

[Michael Lee Russell]

10:48 AM on 03/14/2011

This page was suppossed to be "how I could help"? Not hardly.

[jugglefire]

01:20 PM on 03/14/2011

http://www.salon.com/news/japan_earthquake/?story=%2Fnews%2Ffeature%2F2011%2F03%2F13%2Fjapan_earthquake_tsunami_relief_efforts