Death Toll Feared to Be 1,700 and 9,500 Missing & Unaccounted for in Miyagi’s Minamisanriku

Our hearts and prayers go out to Japan … the Kyodo News is reporting that up to 1700 people might de dead. With the wide spread damage from pictures and videos seen of the 8.9 magnitude earth quake and subsequent tsunami, it is sadly hard to believe that the death toll will not be higher.  

Japan Earthquake: Helicopter aerial view video of giant tsunami waves

Damage caused by Friday’s catastrophic earthquake in Japan expanded Saturday, with the combined number of people who have died or are unaccounted for is feared to top 1,700, while an explosion occurred at the nuclear reactor building of Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and injured four workers.

The death toll has exceeded 600 so far, a police tally showed, while 200 to 300 bodies were transferred to Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. It was also reported that another 200 bodies were transferred to gymnasiums in Iwanuma and Natori, both in Miyagi, while around 650 people are missing following the 2:46 p.m. quake with a magnitude of 8.8, the strongest ever recorded in Japan.

It is also being reported that 9,500 unaccounted for in the single Japanese port town of Miyagi’s Minamisanriku.

As reported at the Guardian …

• Around 1,700 people are estimated to have been killed, according to local media reports, but that death toll is expected to rise dramatically. The official death toll now stands at 574, with 586 people declared missing and 1,105 injured.
• Around 10,000 people are missing in the town of Minamisanrikucho in Miyagi prefecture, according to Japanese TV reports.
• More than 215,000 people are in emergency shelters and around 50,000 rescuers have been deployed across the country.
• At least 1.4m homes are without water and around three million are without power.

Massive Explosion Reported at Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

As reported at the BBC, a massive explosion as taken place at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Officials are saying that the core has not been damaged; however, several workers at the station were thought to be injured.

A huge explosion has rocked a Japanese nuclear power plant damaged by Friday’s devastating earthquake.

A pall of smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima. Four workers were injured.

Japanese officials say the container housing the reactor was not damaged and that radiation levels have now fallen.

UPDATE I: To make matters worse, a magnitude 6.4 aftershock occurred at the site of the nuclear power plant.  The Japanese government has expanded the evacuation radius to 12 miles around the reactor and has urged residents of the region to stay indoors, turn off air conditioning units and not to drink tap water. As reported at the Guardian, Tens of thousands evacuated after plant explosion.

UPDATE II: FOX News is reporting that three individuals taken away from one of the nuclear power plants have been exposed to radiation.

VIDEO via Reuters

 Reuters: Radiation leaks from Japan’s quake-hit nuclear plant

UPDATE III: This is not looking good, from Stratfor, Red Alert: Nuclear Meltdown at Quake-Damaged Japanese Plant.

A March 12 explosion at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Japan, appears to have caused a reactor meltdown.

The key piece of technology in a nuclear reactor is the control rods. Nuclear fuel generates neutrons; controlling the flow and production rate of these neutrons is what generates heat, and from the heat, electricity. Control rods absorb neutrons — the rods slide in and out of the fuel mass to regulate neutron emission, and with it, heat and electricity generation.

UPDATE IV: Japan declares emergencies at 5 nuclear units.

You Knew This was Coming … Global Warming Extremists Blame Climate Change for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

The Climate change folks could not even wait a day …

It was only a matter of time before the Global warming, now turned climate change extremists blamed “climate change” for the Japan 8.9 earthquake and tsunami. In the midst of the horror, death, missing persons and need for help from the world community, we are presented with stories like the following, ‘Today’s tsunami: This is what climate change looks like.’ Or worse yet, the political posturing from those on the Lefts brought to light by The Other McCain. There might be a time and place for such conversation if one is of this persuasion, this happens not to be one of them.

So far, today’s tsunami has mainly affected Japan — there are reports of up to 300 dead in the coastal city of Sendai — but future tsunamis could strike the U.S. and virtually any other coastal area of the world with equal or greater force, say scientists. In a little-heeded warning issued at a 2009 conference on the subject, experts outlined a range of mechanisms by which climate change could already be causing more earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activity. . . .

Scientists have known for some time that climate change affects not just the atmosphere and the oceans but the earth’s crust, but these effects are not widely understood by the public.

“In the political community people are almost completely unaware of any geological aspects to climate change,” said McGuire.

As Weasel Zippers states, because earthquakes are such a recent phenomenon. The 8.9 Japan earthquake was among one of the most powerful in history; however, they key word here is history. Records go back to the 1900′s, so was cliamte change responsible for those as well? From the American Spectator comes the lunacy of such a statement of tsunamis and climate change.

So…weather’s not climate.
Unless it’s warm weather.
And one year doesn’t mean anything.
Unless it’s a warm year.
Or a dry one. Or wet . Snowy. I guess cold, too.
Then it means a lot. Oooooh baby does it. Mmm hmm.
But tsunamis, well, they don’t mean climate of course. Saying that would make the greens look really nuts. (chuckle)

Maybe the climate change alarmists might want to read, Tsunamis: Facts About Killer Waves. Tsunamis date back to the 1500′s, see where we are going?

8.9 Magnitude Quake Hits Japan … Tsunami Hits Japan (Update: Tsunami Warnings for Hawaii and US West Coast)

A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake has hit Japan. It is being reported as the largest earthquake ever to hit Japan. Early reports state that 32 people have died. Aftershocks continued to shake Japan in the aftermath. In the video below, you can see the damage done and the wall of water from the tsunami that followed the earthquake. The damage is just devasting. Our prayers go out to the people of Japan. Sadly, the death toll has rose to 50; however, this may go much higher. Much more at the Kyodo News, with numerous pics of the damage.

The most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years unleashed walls of water Friday that swept across rice fields, engulfing towns, dragging houses onto highways and tossing cars and boats like toys.

Local media reported at least 32 deaths, with more casualties feared. And the 8.9-magnitude quake, which struck at 2:46 p.m. local time, prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a tsunami warning for at least 50 countries and territories.

The quake’s epicenter was offshore 373 kilometers (231 miles) away from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said.

Live Streaming video via Weasil Zippers.

UPDATE I: It is being reported by the BBC that a 33 foot wall of water hit Japan,  the port of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture. A tsunami warning has been made for the Pacific rim, Hawaii and the west caost of the US.

The US West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre said that any tsunami generated by the earthquake off the coast of Japan would hit Hawaii at around 2.45am (12.45pm GMT) and the US West Coast at 7.45am (3.45pm GMT).

Tsunami warnings issued by NOAA

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion, California to the Oregon-Washington border.
The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) to Attu, Alaska.
The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of California from the California-Mexico border to Point Concepcion, California.
The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska from the Oregon-Washington border to Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak).

UPDATE II: More amazing and disasterous VIDEOS of the earthquake and tsunami. Many more VIDEO’s can be seen at the WSJ.

Tsunami hits Japan

UPDATE II: Fire broke out at a nuclear power at Tohoku Electricity’s Onagawa plant. More from Fox News, no radiation leak has been reported at the plant; however, the cooling system failed.

The fire is reported to be at Tohoku Electricity’s Onagawa plant. The Japanese government has declared a nuclear power emergency situation, the news agency Jiji said, quoting the Japanese defence ministry .

However, the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna saidthe four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the earthquake have been safely shut down. “The four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the quake have been safely shut down,” the agency said in a statement, adding it was liaising with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on further details of the situation.

UPDATE III: Death Toll rises to 60 in Japan following earthquake and tsunami.