One of the largest earthquakes ever recorded hit Japan at 2:46 pm local time on March 11, triggering a massive 23-foot tsunami. The 9.0 magnitude offshore quake, the largest in Japan's history, was followed by hundreds of aftershocks. Japanese officials say more than 3,300 people have died in the disaster. The death toll is likely to continue climbing given the scale of Friday's devastation; extensive search and rescue efforts are still underway.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred about 169 kilometers off the east coast of Honshu.Japan’s government broadcaster NHK reported that the focus of the tremor was 10 km (6 miles) below the surface of the earth, off the coast of Aomori Prefecture.
Japan, with a large earthquake zone, earthquakes in different sizes seen in the region frequently. Apart from frequent low intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity, destructive earthquakes, tsunamis, which are common to several times per century.
