Japan awoke to images of submerged homes, grounded boats and burning debris scattered across its northern coastline after the nation's strongest earthquake on record triggered a tsunami that killed hundreds.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan sought to allay concerns about a pair of nuclear reactors that had power failures after the 8.9- magnitude temblor struck at 2:46 p.m. local time Friday. Before boarding a helicopter at about 6 a.m. Saturday, Kan told reporters he planned to tour the site in Fukushima, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Tokyo, and confer with engineers. People within 10 kilometers of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. facility were told to evacuate before the utility vented radioactive gas because of rising pressure.
"I'll talk to the people in charge and make whatever decisions need to be made," Kan said.
The quake, which shut down airports and trains in Tokyo, leaving millions of commuters stranded, killed close to 500 and left more than 1,000 missing, according to the National Police Agency. It was the world's strongest earthquake since a December 2004 temblor in Indonesia that left about 220,000 people dead or missing in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean.
There have been 109 aftershocks since yesterday's quake, the U.S. Geological Survey said. More than a dozen aftershocks greater than magnitude 6 have rocked the region, said Dave Applegate, a senior adviser at USGS, told reporters on a conference call.
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