“Japan launches search, rescue effort” S O S → Japan

SOS→Japan

"Japanlaunchessearch,rescueeffort"

  • Report:Ronaldosettoannounce…
  • TOKYO(AFP)―Japanmobilized50,000militaryandotherrescuepersonnelSaturdayto

    spearheadaHerculeanrescueandrecoveryeffort,adayafterbeinghit

    byitsmostdevastatingquakeandtsunamionrecord.

    EverywingoftheSelfDefenseForceswasthrownintofranticservice,

    withhundredsofships,aircraftandvehiclesheadedtothePacificcoastarea

    wheremorethan2,000peoplewerefeareddeadandentireneighborhoodshadvanished.

    Internationalsearchandrescueteamsalsorushedtothedevastatedcountry,

    somefreshfromworkinquake-hitNewZealand―includinga63-strongJapaneseteam

    thatspenttwoweekshelpingafterthe6.3-magnitudeChristchurchquake.

    AsemergencystaffinJapandugthroughrubbleandpluckedsurvivorsoff

    theroofsofsubmergedhouses,PrimeMinisterNaotoKanwarned

    thatdayoneafterthecatastrophewasacrucialwindowforsurvivors.

    “Irealizedthehugeextentofthetsunamidamage,”

    thecenter-leftpremiersaidaftertakingahelicoptertouroftheapocalypticscenes

    inthenortheastbeforemeetinghiscabinetministersforanemergencymeetinginTokyo.

    “Whatusedtoberesidentialareasweremostlysweptawayinmanycoastalareas

    andfiresarestillblazingthere,”hetoldthem.

    TheUnitedStates,withalmost50,000troopsstationedinJapan,

    orderedaflotillaincludingtwoaircraftcarrierstotheregiontoprovideaid―justoneof

    scoresofnationsthathaveofferedhelpsinceFriday’smonsterquake.

    Peoplewaitforrescueontherooftopofaruinedbuildingtangledwithtsunami-drifteddebris

    inRikuzentakada,IwatePrefecture,Saturday.(AP-YonhapNews)

    U.S.forcesonFridayhelpedJapanrapidlyreactbydeliveringacoolingagentto

    anuclearplantwheremalfunctionsthreatenedadangerousmeltdown.

    IntheutterbleaknessontheeastcoastofJapan’smainHonshuisland,

    whereatleast3,600housesweredestroyedbythe9.0-magnitudequake,

    thereweresomeraysofhopeamidthecarnageofsmashedtownsandshatteredlives.

    ArmyhelicoptersairliftedpeopleofftheroofofanelementaryschoolinWatari,

    Miyagiprefecture,andnavalandcoastguardchoppersdidthesameto

    rescue81peoplefromashipthathadbeenhurledouttoseabythetsunami.

    Butforeverypieceofgoodnews,thereweremoreremindersofnature’scrueltyagainst

    thisseismicallyunstablenation―includingthelatestofaseriesof

    strongaftershocksinthemorning,measuringahefty6.8.

    Inlargecoastalareas,entireneighborhoodsweredestroyed,

    withunknownnumbersofvictimsburiedintherubbleoftheirhomesorlosttothesea,

    wherecars,shippingcontainers,debrisandentirehouseswereafloat.

    ThecoastalcityofRikuzentakatainIwateprefecturewasalmostcompletelydestroyed

    andsubmerged,saidtheFireandDisasterManagementAgency.

    Some300-400bodieswererecoveredinthecityof23,000people,

    NHKquotedthemilitaryassaying,whilepolicereportedlysaid200-300bodies

    hadbeenfoundinthecityofSendai.

    Inthequake-hitareas,5.6millionhouseholdshadnopowerSaturday

    andmorethanonemillionhouseholdswerewithoutwater.

    Japan’smilitarystarteditsmassdeploymentFriday,

    whenitdispatched300planesandanarmadaof20navaldestroyersandotherships,

    whilesome25airforcejetsflewreconnaissancemissionsoverthevastdisasterzone.

    TheTokyoandOsakapoliceforcesandthehealthministryalsoall

    quicklydispatchedmedicalandrescueteams.

    Amongtheinternationalhelppledged,ateamfromSouthKorea,

    withfiverescuepersonnelandtwosnifferdogs,jettedin.

    Japansaidithadbeenofferedhelpbyscoresofgovernments―amongthemChina,

    withwhomTokyohassometimesawkwardrelations.

    TheUnitedStates,whichoccupiedJapanafterWorldWarIIandisthecountry’smainsecurityally,

    hasmanyofitsforcesstationedonthesouthernislandofOkinawa,farfromthequakezone.

    Twoaircraftcarrierswereenroutetothedisasterzone―theUSSGeorgeWashington,

    whichisbasednearTokyo,andtheUSSRonaldReagan,

    whichwasonitswaytoSouthKoreaforexercisesandhasbeenredirected.


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    Liveinharmonywithoneanother

    Donotbeproundbutbewillingtoassociatewithpeopleoflowposition

    Donotbeconceited!"

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