What happened in Japan on March 11 2011?

Answer 1

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked Japan March 11, 2011 at 2:46 p.m. local time followed by many aftershocks. This was one of the largest earthquakes of the century. The major quake occurred beneath the ocean near Sendai, Japan, which triggered a massive tsunami. Waves as high as 35 feet were reported in several Northern regions of Japan.

8,649 people were initially confirmed dead as of March 11, 2011 with more than 21,911 people are still missing. The number of deaths was later updated to nearly 16,000 people. Over 92% of reported deaths were due to drowning.

A recent disaster was the Fukashimi Nuclear Power plant in Okuma. The engines powering the cooling system for the reactors failed after the earthquake, causing the nuclear core to heat up and pressurize. It finally gave out late yesterday (Japanese time). Residents within a 20 mile radius of the plant were evacuated and given iodine tablets (which stop the absorption of radioactivity to some degree).

More details including a timeline of the Fukashimi Nuclear Power disaster can be found in related links below.

Answer 2

On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered a powerful tsunami that caused widespread destruction, particularly in the Tohoku region. The disaster resulted in thousands of deaths, displacement of people, and a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.