Massive 8.9 quake, tsunami hits Japan, entire Pacific coast on alert

Tokyo: A 10-metre tsunami hit north-east Japan today after a massive 8.9 magnitude quake, which swept away everything in its path, including houses, cars and boats, according to media and eyewitness reports. The quake has caused many injuries, fires and a wall of water has swept across the coast.

The US tsunami monitoring centre on Friday widened a warning to virtually the entire Pacific coast, including Australia and South America, after the massive earthquake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center expanded a previous alert to include the US state of Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and the entire coast of Central and South America.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's central weather bureau on Friday warned people living on the island's east and northeast coasts to be on guard for tsunamis set off by a major quake off Japan.

Waves are expected to reach Hualien and Taitung on the island's east coast around 0930 GMT and the north-eastern port of Keelung half an hour later, the bureau said.

In the Fukushima prefecture, north of Tokyo, four million homes are now without power. In the capital Tokyo itself, buildings shook violently and there are reports of several strong aftershocks in the affected area.