The tsunami set off by Japan’s huge earthquake is currently higher than some Pacific islands that it could wash over, the Red Cross warned on Friday.
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China’s state media is reporting that a moderately strong earthquake in the southwest topped more than 18 000 houses and apartment buildings.
The temblor left 25 dead in a mountainous area in Yunnan province, near the border with Burma.
Developing countries are at greater risk from the tsunami than Japan, although many have beefed up early warning systems and evacuation plans since the 2004 tsunami, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. “Our biggest concern is the Asia and Pacific region, where developing countries are far more vulnerable to this type of unfolding disaster. The tsunami is a major threat,” spokesperson Paul Conneally told Reuters in Geneva.
“At the moment, it is higher than some islands and could go right over them. That is a scenario that nobody wants to see,” he said.
More than 226 000 people in 11 Asian countries died in the 2004 tsunami.
The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began 140 years ago struck its north-east coast on Friday, unleashing a 10m tsunami that swept away all in its path, including houses, cars and farm buildings.
All national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the region including the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands wer mobilised to help their populations, according to the Federation, the world’s largest disaster relief network.
The United Nations said 30 international search and rescue teams were on alert to go to Japan to provide assistance.
“We stand ready to assist as usual in such cases,” Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), told Reuters in Geneva.
UN disaster assessment and coordination teams, who deploy in emergencies worldwide to try to locate and treat survivors, normally include sniffer dogs and medical teams.
Conneally, referring to Japan, said: “We are hearing there is a lot of disruption to lives and agricultural lands, as for physical damage, but we have no reports of major loss of life so far. Certainly there will be injured and a lot of destruction that will affect the economy.”
It was not clear whether Japan would request international assistance because its emergency services and civil defence mechanisms are highly developed, according to aid officials in Geneva.
Nuclear plants safely shut
The four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the earthquake in Japan have been safely shut down, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
The IAEA, the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog, said it was seeking more information on which countries and nuclear facilities might be at risk from the tsunami unleashed by the quake.
“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.
“The agency has sent an offer of good offices to Japan, should the country request support,” the statement added.
Japanese media said the government had decided to declare a nuclear power emergency situation, which occurs if there is confirmation of radioactivity leaks from a nuclear power plant or a reactor cooling system breaks down.
Kyodo news agency said a fire broke out at Tohoku Electric Power Company’s Onagawa nuclear plant in north-eastern Japan following the earthquake.
Separately, Fukushima Prefecture, the site of a Tokyo Electric Power nuclear power plant, said on Friday the plant’s reactor cooling system was functioning, denying an earlier report that it was malfunctioning.
Widespread warnings
Among the countries for which a tsunami warning is in effect are: Russia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.
Taiwan’s coast guard has begun evacuating its east coast, which is not heavily populated. Waves about 50cm high are expected to reach the island’s north and east coasts later on Friday, its central weather bureau said.
Hawaii’s civil defence agency ordered all coastal areas, including the main tourist hub Honolulu, evacuated by 2am local time. The first tsunami wave was expected to reach Hawaii at 3am local time.
Waves were expected to hit Pacific island Guam, 2 400 km south of Japan, at 7pm local time (11am GMT).
Beaches had been cleared there, and hotels were moving guests to rooms on higher floors, while in the nearby Northern Mariana Islands, all residents were ordered to evacuate to higher grounds.
The tsunami is higher than some of the Pacific islands it could wash over, the Red Cross in Geneva said, warning that developing countries in the Asia Pacific region were particularly vulnerable to tsunami damage.
The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck the north-east coast on Friday, triggering a 10m tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses and cars.
By 8am GMT there had been no reports of a serious tsunami hitting anywhere beyond Japan.
“A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest,” the centre said. “The threat can continue for many hours as multiple waves arrive.” – Reuters, AFP