Emergency continues
A girl, wrapped in a blanket, looks around the tsunami-ravaged town of Ishinomaki city in Miyagi prefecture yesterday.
By Terry Fredrickson
Massive quake unleashes tsunami on Japan
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One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded hit Japan Friday, unleashing a 10-metre high tsunami that tossed ships inland and sparked fears that destructive waves could hit across the Pacific Ocean.
The devastating 8.9-magnitude quake left many people injured in coastal areas of the main Honshu island and Tokyo, police said, while TV footage showed widespread flooding in the area. Nineteen people were reported dead.
A monster 10-metre (33 feet) wall of water was reported in Sendai city in northeastern Miyagi prefecture, media said after a four-metre wave hit the coast earlier. The government said the quake had caused "tremendous damage".
Helicopter footage showed massive inundation in northern coastal towns, where floods of black water sent shipping containers, cars and debris crashing through the streets. An oil refinery was ablaze near Tokyo.
Television footage showed a wide, muddy stream moving rapidly across a residential area near the Natori River in Sendai, levelling all in its path.
The tsunami also reached Sendai airport, submerging the runway while a process known as liquefaction, caused by the intense shaking of the tremor, turned parts of the ground to liquid.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a widespread warning for territories as far away as South America, New Zealand and Hawaii, where evacuations were ordered.
"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicentre within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the centre said in a statement.
Swells of up to one metre were reported hitting Russia's far east, with bigger waves expected later.
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Vocabulary
massive – very large in size, amount or numberใหญ่โต
unleash – to release suddenly a strong, uncontrollable and usually destructive force ปล่อย, ก่อให้เกิดผลรุนแรง
toss - to throw something carelessly โยน
spark – to make something happen ก่อให้เกิด
destructive – causing great damage or harm ซึ่งเป็นการทำลาย
wave – a raised line of water that moves across the surface of the sea, ocean, etc คลื่น
devastating – destroying a place or thing completely or cause great damage ทำลายล้าง
magnitude – size or strength ขนาดหรือ ความรุนแรง
injured – hurt in an accident or attack ซึ่งได้รับบาดเจ็บ
coastal– of an area of land beside the sea แนวชายฝั่งทะเล
footage – film or video of a particular subject or event ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์ หรือวิดีโอ
widespread – happening or existing in many places, or affecting many people อย่างแพร่หลาย
monster – unusually large ใหญ่โตมาก, มหึมา, มโหฬาร
prefecture – an area of local government in some countries, for example France, Italy and Japan อำเภอ
media – newspapers, television, radio, etc. สื่อ
tremendous – very great in amount or level ใหญ่โตมาก
inundation – flooding น้ำท่วม
debris – broken pieces that are left when something large has been destroyed เศษ ซากปรักหักพัง ซากสิ่งของที่ถูกทำลาย
refinery – a factory where a substance such as oil is refined (= made pure) โรงกลั่น
ablaze – on fire ถูกไฟไหม้
residential area – a place where people live
level – to destroy a building or a group of trees completely by knocking it down ทำให้ล้มลงสู่แนวพื้นดิน, ทำให้เรียบ
submerge – to cause to be under water ทำให้จมน้ำ ทำให้อยู่ใต้น้ำ
process – a series of actions that produce a result แนว กระบวนการ
liquefaction – to cause to become a liquid
intense – very strong เข้มข้น
tremor – a shaking of the earth การสั่นสะเทือน
territory - land which is considered as belonging to or connected with a particular country or person ดินแดน
evacuation – moving people from a place of danger to a safer place การอพยพ
potential – what is possible ความเป็นไปได้
generate – to produce ก่อให้เกิด
epicenter – the point on the earth's surface where the effects of an earthquake are felt most strongly ศูนย์กลาง
swell – the movement of the sea when it rises and falls without the waves breaking คลื่นขนาดใหญ่, การกระเพื่อมเป็นคลื่น
