Japan quake: Tsunami hits Japan after massive quake

A huge earthquake has hit Japan triggering a Tsunami which has swept several miles inland washing everything away in its path and causing massive devastation and loss of life.

With a magnitude of 8.9, it is the sixth largest quake ever recorded. The death toll could reach several thousand.

An entire passenger train and a ship carrying a hundred people are both reported to have been swept away and fires have broken out in several places including an oil refinery.

A nuclear emergency has been declared after a number of reactors automatically shut down following the quake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued alerts for 20 countries covering virtually the entire Pacific coastline, including the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico and Hawaii.

Allan Little reports.