A massive tsunami hits Japan [March 11 2011]

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Friday, triggering tsunami warnings and sending people fleeing out of buildings in the capital. The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath. In Tokyo, crowds huddled together and tried to reach relatives via cell phone.

Its epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said.

It triggered a tsunami warning for various countries, including Japan and Russia, the National Weather Service said. "Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis potentially dangerous to coasts outside the source region," it said. (CNN)