[Archived] Sparing more thoughts

[dave birch]

for our fellow Rovers in Japan.

To Trev, mate, I hope you are safe and well.

To Dillo, I trust that you are safe and well also

That both of you are not too badly affected.

The live footage we have seen down here is truly shocking.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

No problems here in Nagoya, Dave. The Tokyo area has been badly affected, though.

For those that haven't heard yet: a massive earthquake initially reported as M7.9 on the Richter scale but later revised to an estimated M8.8 hit the Tohoku region in the north-east of Japan at 14:46 today and has been followed by numerous very large aftershocks. The earthquake also measured an intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale of 1 to 7. This is probably the largest ever recorded earthquake in Japanese history. It was even felt here in Nagoya as intensity 4, which is a pretty big shake in itself, although there is no damage here. A 10-metre tsunami has already hit the northeastern Japan coast, depositing a tanker onto land and washing cars out to sea. I'm just off home now to catch up with the evening news.

Some local links:

Japan Times - English-language daily newspaper

Tenki.jp - Japan Weather Association's earthquake reports (in Japanese)

[cn174]

Dillo posted on Facebook "I'm OK. but my book shelfs are.....!!!!"

[dillo_dillo]

I'm spending an uneasy.

I'm OK, but my bookshelf looks like hell. (*sigh... I don't want clean up it....)

luckily,my familiy and friends are well.

more luckily, life line is ok at my studio and home . but many of friends in dark and cold place.

and phones are down...

I pray for safety everyone.

Now, All train and public transportation stop in Tokyo.

A lots of people walking back to home.It's really cold night.

I asked you to pray for people hit by huge earthquake in Japan.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

Good to hear you are safe, dillo. Watching the news is astonishing. Imagine the entire population of England spread across an area the size of England affected by a natural disaster. So far there are relatively few deaths reported (73 at present), but that doesn't even begin to tell the story. The number of people without electricity tonight may be in the millions rather than hundreds of thousands. Cities are at a standstill. The Pacific coast of Japan is on alert for a large-scale tsunami. This is the largest recorded earthquake in Japanese history and ranks among the largest recorded in human history. Incredible.

[Iceman]

all the best Dillo and Wen Y Hu... sad to hear that, and its not good after the recent earthquake in Christchurch. Prayers and thoughts are with everybody in Japan

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

Between 200 and 300 deaths by the coast in the city of Sendai have just been reported. The number of bodies must be so great that that is the nearest the authorities can get to making an estimate. 4 million homes without electricity in the east of Japan. Pretty much the entire northeast region is a blackout.

[rebelmswar]

Just saw the tsunami OMG.

Thoughts and prayers to you all.

[dillo_dillo]

TV News (NHK)

http://www.youtube.com/user/NHKonline#p/u/1/UCEtK3nW6iM

Still shaking !!!.... it's aftershock.

I can not sleep tonight. I can not off the room light by fear....

very scary.

[rebelmswar]

TV News (NHK)

http://www.youtube.com/user/NHKonline#p/u/1/UCEtK3nW6iM

Still shaking !!!.... it's aftershock.

I can not sleep tonight. I can not off the room light by fear....

very scary.

Just had report that a certain nuclear power plant can not cool itself down. It has been shut down but can not cool.

Is this correct?

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

There are a number of nuclear reactors in the northeast of Japan and I believe they have all been shut down. The Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Reactor is the main source of concern. A couple of minutes ago, there was a statement that there has been no radiation leak, although the surrounding area is being evacuated, with a 3km exclusion zone and advice for those in the 3-10km zone to stay indoors. No mention was made of the cooling down issue.

[rebelmswar]

There are a number of nuclear reactors in the northeast of Japan and I believe they have all been shut down. The Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Reactor is the main source of concern. A couple of minutes ago, there was a statement that there has been no radiation leak, although the surrounding area is being evacuated, with a 3km exclusion zone and advice for those in the 3-10km zone to stay indoors. No mention was made of the cooling down issue.

Let's just say my information generally comes from a more "uniform" set of sources.

If you live near to it don't fool around. Listen to the advice.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

BBC News picked up on this earlier: "A state of emergency was declared at the Fukushima power plant after the cooling system failed in one of its reactors when it shut down automatically because of the earthquake." The fact that NHK are not mentioning anything suggests to me that this is being treated on a "need to know" basis so as not to spread panic. As you suggest, I wouldn't be hanging around within 30km let alone 3km of an unstable nuclear reactor. For what it is worth, the area around the reactor is sparsely populated - which is why the site was chosen.

Meanwhile, casualty figures have now gone from precise numbers to "Over 200 dead" and "Several hundred missing". Aftershocks are flashing up on the television screen with great frequency and are affecting the Tokyo metropolitan area, so it looks like dillo is in for a long night. Hang in there, dillo.

[dillo_dillo]

Twitter is really helps us!

Phone line is down, Mobile does...

A lots of people get news from twitter.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

BBC News have an update on the nuclear reactors here. There has just been a statement that although a state of emergency has been declared as per legal requirement, the situation is not critical. Details are not being released to the general public, it would seem.

From an economics point of view, it is perhaps fortunate that today is a Friday. This means analysts will have the weekend to assess developments before the markets react fully on Monday. Meanwhile, the yen has strengthened even further against the pound, I notice.

It's now snowing in parts of northeastern Japan and temperatures are around freezing throughout the east and northeast.

[TugaysMarlboro]

Geology is something I wish i'd have gone into, it's certainly an interest of mine.

I'll be glued to the USGS website for the forseeable future. Sadly the pacific basin gets its fair share of disasters. New Zealand, Kileau started to erupt with a bit more anger only a few days ago, and now Japan. All of them interlinked.

My best wishes to all in Japan.

[rebelmswar]

88000 missing? That can't be right.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I haven't been able to stop watching the news. It's unbelievable. Glad you guys are safe!

[dillo_dillo]

morning coming. it's light out.

my uncertain night is end.... but still shaking in TOKYO.

TV news are shocking.

I have no word....

yhese photos are really shocking....

The big pictures: The moment Japan's cataclysmic tsunami engulfed a nation

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365318/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-The-moment-mother-nature-engulfed-nation.html

[Tom]

Terrible stuff, my thoughts are with those affected.

The footage of that fishing town with the wave just washing away everything is horrible.

[rebelmswar]

Bunch of Navy people literaly pissing themselves with radiation levels right now.

[Aberdeen Blue]

You and your country are in our thoughts Dillo at this very difficult time.

[roversmum]

Thoughts and prayers to all affected by this terrible disaster, especially Dillo ((((hugs)))) and Wen Y Hu. Please keep safe. RIP all those who have lost their lives.

[dillo_dillo]

THANKS for your warm and kind words.

I'm OK. but north part of Japan had a devastating blow.

I hope that as many people as possible will be saved.

many people tweet on twitter. tag is "#PrayForJapan "

...thank you!

[RibbleValleyRover]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected and RIP to those that have lost their lives.

What's also worrying is the state of the Fukushima-Daini nuclear power plant, last I heard was there was a small radioactive leak and that they were still struggling to cool the reactors.