read something about a supermoon affecting the seas a few days ago.. got one hell of a shock when i heard what had happened...probably unrealated but still..... horrendous news

Yes I doubt the moon is anything to do with this clumsycat because the earthquake caused the tsunami..

yes... the papers are all saying that as well...about the `supermoon` i mean... but japan is notorious for earthquakes anyway so its just sensationalism. Those poor poor people

some people are just stoopid!

I've just deleted an American "friend" on FB for saying stupid things about this disaster which I found offensive. I considered sending him a message telling him why, but some people just aren't worth bothering with.

Powerful and moving images from The Los Angeles Times.....

http://framework.latimes.com/2...thquake-in-japan/#/0

Good for you!  People have very short memories when was the San Fransisco earthquake?  1989/1990?  I'd be keeping my comments to myself and praying that that plate isn't the next one to start moving suddenly!

How lovely to see that family reunited on News at Ten. So nice to see something positive from what is an horrendous situation.

I saw some comments on a website saying that this is payback for Pearl Harbour Made me wonder, out of the people who were saying it, how many had Japanese appliances or technology that they used in day to day life?

Whats the latest on the 3rd nuclear station that had the cooling systen shutdown?Didnt know they had around 50 nuclear power stations It seems a lot for such a small island and especially being on the ring of fire fault line.

OMG .............I'm speechless for a change,

I saw the 60 year old man who had drifted 9 miles off shore clinging to part of his house for the last 2 days to survive being rescued

No further news that I know of, Jonesy. Apparently, the plant where these 3 reactors are is one of the oldest still running. The newer ones have better safety systems in place, or at least that's what an "expert" on the news was saying yesterday.

Sickos IMO. The Japanese are one of the most hospitable and welcoming peoples on the planet. They will get through this disaster far quicker than the US has with New Orleans. You just watch.

I saw that too Karms  - one feels like saying yaaay till you realise he lost his wife 

Thanks Peter for that. I believe some of their Nuclear power stations date back to the 70s but thoughts about bringing them up to date now will surely be put on the back burner with all the re-construction that will be needed. Estimates that i have heard of regarding insured assets etc comes to $4.5 or $45 billion ( am unsure of which it was ) but still a big chunk out of their economy.

I don't think it's a race of survival of the fittest, Jonesy. What happened in NO was also terrible. As an observer of the tragedies, it's easy to segregate them into 'well, that country had it worse than the other one' or 'they will cope better than the others'...but as an individual affected and living through it, I can't even begin to comprehend what it must feel like to be in a situation like an earthquake, tsunami, bombing...etc.

I would say that losing a loved one or your home is bad enough, regardless of the circumstances.

Also, there has been much debate about where the funds raised for former tragedies have gone, too.

Ah man I didn't see that :/

Its good and bad for him. Good in being alive after the event but bad in finding out his wife had died and there is nothing left in the place where he lived. I think i would have rather have been one of the " missing presumed dead".

If i were there and was a survivor and finding out all my family/home/town had vanished? I would not be able to cope. It must be horrible for the families out there who do not know if their friends/family are still alive etc.

I watched a video earlier taken during the onset of a town being washed away - I would say 'unbelievable' but it has happened so must be 
It is on my fb wall ..

Have seen the before and after shots of some of the towns in Japan. Complete towns/cities wiped off the face of the map Where is the population of these ? The death toll will be far greater than we have seen in the news IMO.

The tragedy in Japan has dominated Monday's front pages.






Oh, except for the Daily Star which has an exclusive on 'Paddy the gipsy'

Another explosion at the Fukushima plant reported at 2.20am. This time it's reactor number 3. A wall has been blown off the building, but so far they think that the reactor core is undamaged.

Have just been reading that a second tsunami is on its way to Japan? (3m/10ft seen off coast and the tide has reduced by 5m - sky news)

The tsunami alert has now been lifted.

Cooling issues reported at a third reactor at the plant now.

another biggy by Thursday?how much more can they take?

I hope and pray that they can keep the damage contained - it doesn't look good.

It must be terrifying living in the vicinity even though they've been evacuated to 'a safer' distance.

And the poor workers at the plant. Their families must be terrified.

Update from the Asahi Shimbum (one of the main newspapers in Japan):



There is a strong likelihood that all three reactors at the troubled No. 1 Fukushima  nuclear power plant have had core meltdowns, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said  Monday evening.



Cooling systems at all three reactors failed in the wake of Friday's Great East Japan  Earthquake and nuclear fuel rods in the reactor cores were exposed above the water level.



At the same time, Edano said, "While the earthquake itself may have lasted but an  instant, the response thereafter was conducted under a certain level of control and, at  the present time, the situation is moving in a direction of stability. We believe that  even foreseeing the worst-case outcome it will not turn out like Chernobyl."

More and more footage coming out from people and it all seems to be getting so much worse. 

These poor people must be going through hell  i know the news channels want to be first to bring us live coverage but in this day and age with technology do all these reporters need to be there using there meagre resources, a woman from Sky news was saying she and her crew had been getting as much fuel as they could as there wasn't much about (why not leave it for the people that live there and need it more, she then went on to look through a wrecked car and pointing out that there was nappies and childrens toys in the car and wondering what had happened to the people

Totally agree Aimee    Good post.

It`s beyond comprehension. Hell on earth. 

It is strange that the last massive earthquake and resulting tsunami was 2 weeks before a supermoon, though. Maybe a coincidence....but the moon not only regulates tides, it tugs at the earth, doesn't it?
The moon is at its fullest phase at the end of this week.

I am stunned at all the images of this tragedy, the total devastation is heart-breaking.

Is that right Kat?  I didn't know that?  interesting to know... thanks

Something I'm finding really moving is the spirit of the survivors. A couple in their 70s were rescued after being trapped for 2 days. A reporter asked them how they felt about the devastation, and they reply, "We must simply rebuild." They're not alone - this is the way that most Japanese people are, which is something I love about them.

Yes .......i've been really struck by the attitude of the survivors ..............no histrionics just a dogged determination to get on with it. Such resilliance - very impressive and quite remarkable and unique

That was a discussion I was having yesterday PC - saying they won't be able to repair but will have to rebuild & that not only are Japan a wealthy country but the people are extremely resilient & committed to getting on with life! & if anyone can do it they can!

it is absolutely horrendous but it really makes you think doesn't it? Japan is a very organised and earthquake savvy country ..................when this happened in Haiti and Pakistan the death toll was higher and there really wasn't an organised plan of action to save those in the outer most parts.

i really and truly am not making light of it but ..............the fact that it was filmed over and over and we have a graphic account makes it all the more real.TRAGIC!