8.9 Earthquake Hits in Japan - Tsunami Warnings in Effect

An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan on Friday, shaking office buildings in Tokyo and setting off a devastating tsunami that swept away cars and boats.

The quake — the world’s fifth largest since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey — struck at 2.46 p.m. local time.

There were reports of injuries in Tokyo as officials tried to assess damage, injuries and deaths from the quake and tsunami, but there were no immediate details.

Japanese television showed aerial footage of an ominous 13-foot muddy wave washing across land along the northeastern coast near the epicenter.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami warning for Hawai’i following tonight’s 8.9 earthquake in Tokyo, with the first wave expected to hit the islands at 2:59 a.m. Hawaiian time. “Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning states, and sirens sounded a few minutes ago, at 9:59 p.m.

NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp. and Softbank Corp., the three largest mobile-phone operators in Japan, said their services were disrupted across many regions after an earthquake shook buildings across the nation.

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