The second quake in as many days has struck off Japan's Northeast coast. Wednesday morning, a 7.3 magnitude temblor shook the capital without doing much damage, and causing no injuries. Today's quake was much bigger, 8.9 magnitude, and was followed by a tsunami wave that has caused wide-spread damage.

 

Tsunami warnings up for west coasts of North and South America.

 

Al Jazeera English (AJE) is showing pictures from Tokyo, where there is at least one large fire burning. They report power outages, road and bridge collapses, and a tsunami floe of cars, boats, and small structures. 

 

The quake struck approximately 380 kilometers north of the capital at a depth of 24 kilometers at 2:46pm local time.

 

Tsunami warnings have been issued for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas, Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii, and across the Pacific in Peru and Chile.

 

A small tsunami struck near the epicentre at Kamaishi about 15 minutes after the quake.

 

Al Jazeera is reporting wide-spread injuries, though specifics on this breaking story are not yet known.

 

All train and metro service has stopped, and airports closed. Sendai airport is reported to have been struck by a ten metre high wave, its runways and terminal gates flooded.

 

Five nuclear plants have too been shut down, likely due to seismic sensors designed. There are pictures too of an oil refinery blazing out of control outside Tokyo. An estimated four million homes are without power there.

 

The US Geological survey is advising people evacuate low lying areas, with speculation of ten metre high tsunamis possible. The Disneyland on the outskirts of Tokyo has been effected by the water, its parking lot apparently being submerged.

 

AJE is transmitting extraordinary helicopter footage of an enormous tsunami near Miyagi, wiping out everything in its path.

 

There is also an appeal for those concerned about their friends and family in Japan to refrain from phoning and tying up the system emergency responders depend on. For Japanese speakers, Twitter and websites are up for news.

 

The Japanese government has mobilized the military to assess damage, and convened emergency cabinet meetings.  

 

Aftershocks reported.

 

[UPDATE I - 6:30 am pacific standard time: 300 confirmed dead, many more missing. Canadians seeking information about loved ones in Japan - 1-800-387-3124.]