A massive earthquake struck Japan’s northeast coast on Friday triggering a tsunami
which swept away everything in its path. The 8.9 magnitude quake was the biggest to
hit the country since records began 140 years ago. A number of people were killed
and the extent of the devastation and the death toll could rise significantly.
The
Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia all issued tsunami alerts and the Pacific Tsunami
Warning Center issued alerts for countries to the west and across the Pacific as far
away as Colombia and Peru. “It is massive, it’s what we call one of the great earthquakes”
says Seismologist with the British Geological survey David Galloway.
He told
Vatican Radio that “it is about 8 thousand times bigger than the earthquake that hit
Christchurch” (New Zealand). Mr Galloway also added that there had been quite a few
after strong after shocks. Listen to Lydia O’Kane's interview with David Galloway
here.