Major tsunami hits Japan, more than 442 believed dead

Northeastern Japan has been hit by a tsunami reaching 10 meters high in some areas. The tsunami waves were caused by an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale. The death toll has reached 442 with more than 750 missing, according to officials.

The death toll is likely to rise to well over 1,000, officials say.

Also, contact has been lost with four passenger trains in tsunami-hit Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.

In northern Japan, water surged inland in Sendai, some 350km (217 miles) north of Tokyo. The city of Sendai is considered to be worst hit. Police say almost every house in the city has been damaged or destroyed.

One Japanese news agency suggests there are literally tens of thousands of victims unaccounted for.

Another serious quake, measuring 6.6, also struck after the initial quake - again rocking Tokyo`s skyscrapers and spreading fear among people still reeling from the earlier disaster.

Japan has asked the United Nations to send rescue teams to help deal with the disaster.

Japan has declared a nuclear power emergency after the cooling system failed at a nuclear power plant at Fukushima following the earthquake in the northeast.

Japan`s meteorological agency says the quake hit at 2:46 pm local time in the Pacific ocean about 400km (250 miles) from Tokyo.

The quake has been assessed as the most powerful in the country`s history. It was one of those that are called "shallow earthquakes" - those that happen in the ocean, but very close to the shore.

There are about 50 fires blazing along the coastline and 4 million homes have been left without power. There is widespread damage in the country`s north-east.

Thousands of passengers have been stranded at Japanese airports as reports say some 711 flights have been cancelled.

Tokyo`s Narita International Airport has been closed and the railroad service has been suspended in areas affected by the quake. Thousands crowded major transport hubs like Tokyo looking to reach their homes.

Communication links are paralyzed, making it difficult to confirm levels of damage or injuries.

If you are looking for someone who might be in the disaster-hit region in Japan you can visit a special internet site launched by Google to find and share information.

Eye-witnesses have been posting their accounts via Twitter. User japanreports wrote: "People are running out into the traffic, there are some who died under the wheels?. There are fires in Tokyo. And in every place where there were quake shocks. Oil and gas depots are ablaze, the fire is 30 meters high."

"The tremors lasted a total of three hours with interruptions," wrote user MIG222K. "Helicopters are flying everywhere."

Eyewitnesses Yoshihiro Hino and Kazuyuki Sasaki from Meiji University in Tokyo shared with RT what they felt when the devastating earthquake struck: "We attended a meeting when a huge earthquake came to Tokyo, it continued for a long while. We were afraid, there was panic" said Hino. "But the authorities so far are reacting properly" added Sasaki.

Tatyana Snitkova, a Russian woman who lives in Tokyo told RT that she was working at home, when she suddenly felt slight jolts.

"I didn`t know what to do - sit at home or leave. At that moment I saw a message on the screen of my TV. It said that in 20 seconds there would be an earthquake. I jumped up and left. It was shaking. I heard a crack. Posts and fences were cracking."

"Although the epicentre was far away from Tokyo, I felt like I was on a ship while it rocked. It seemed like everything around me would crash. It was happening all day. Every time I returned home, it started again," said Snitkova.

Read expert opinion on the issue

Japan`s Prime Minister Naoto Kan called on the population to remain calm.

"We must show the spirit of co-operation to minimize the existing damage," Kan said addressing the nation.

Meanwhile, aftershocks continued in Japan`s northeast.

sections: Accidents, World News