Japan Earthquake Picture Story

Japan Earthquake Picture Story

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck off the northeastern 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 coast near the epicenter.

Massive Iceberg Shears Off after N. Zealand Quake

Massive iceberg shears off after N. Zealand quake

A 30 million tonne block of ice sheared off a New Zealand glacier just minutes after a violent earthquake devastated the city of Christchurch, officials said Wednesday.
The huge iceberg crashed into a lake shortly after the 6.3 magnitude tremor rocked the South Island on Tuesday and created waves up to three metres high for 30 minutes which rocked two sightseeing boats on the lake at the time.
The enormous iceberg -- estimated to weigh 30 to 40 million tonnes -- began ripping off the Tasman Glacier at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park accompanied by a loud noise which sounded like a rifle shot, a local tourism official said.