Herculean rescue and recovery effort

Japan yesterday mobilised over 50,000 military and other rescue personnel to spearhead a Herculean rescue and recovery effort, following an 8.9 earthquake and a massive tsunami that killed thousands of people. Nearly 88,000 people are believed to be missing.

Japan's Self Defence Forces sent 300 planes and an armada of 20 naval destroyers and other ships to the Pacific Coast area where at least 1,300 people were feared dead.

The coastal city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate prefecture was almost completely destroyed and submerged by the tsunami, which had 10-metre high waves. Nearly 4,000 houses have been completely destroyed, in addition to commercial buildings.

Four trains, including two Shinkansen bullet trains with 400 passengers each are missing while a number of passenger liners have been swept away without any trace.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned that day one after the catastrophe was a crucial window for survivors.

The United States, with almost 50,000 troops stationed in Japan, sent aircraft carriers to waters off the disaster zone - just one of the 45 nations that offered assistance since Friday's quake, the sixth most powerful in recorded history.

Meanwhile, Japan has declared states of emergency at two nuclear plants damaged by Friday's massive earthquake along the country's northeastern coast. An explosion was heard from a nuclear power plant hit by Friday's devastating earthquake.

Reports said smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima and several workers were injured.

Japanese officials fear a meltdown at one of the plant's reactors after radioactive material was detected outside it. Officials said the 8.9 magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami knocked power out and caused cooling systems to fail at two plants in Fukushima. They warned of radiation leaks as steam was vented from reactors in an effort to relieve growing pressure.

Entire villages were washed away on Friday by waves as the waves carried vehicles, buildings and debris several kilometres inland. The earthquake and tsunami damaged highways and other infrastructure.

The tsunami triggered by the earthquake did no major damage when it reached the Pacific coast of North and South America early yesterday. A worldwide tsunami warning was issued after the tremor. Experts said the quake was 8,000 times stronger than the one which devastated Christchurch in New Zealand last month.

Japan is one of the most seismically active areas in the world. It accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes greater than magnitude 6.

Japanese geologists have long forecast a huge earthquake along a major plate boundary southwest of Tokyo, and have poured enormous resources into monitoring the faint traces of strain building in that portion of the earth's crust. The epicentre of the earthquake was about 25 Km below the sea floor and about 130 Km east of the coastal city of Sendai.

The plate boundary off the coast of Sendai had not had a "mega-quake" in the modern era. It may not have suffered a major rupture like this for more than 1,000 years. (Agencies)