video transcript

Devastation in Japan. Japanese television airs footage from the aftermath of Japan's biggest earthquake on record. The quake hit the northeast coast Friday, triggering a 10-meter tsunami that has already killed hundreds of people and swept away everything in its path. The extent of the destruction suggests the death toll could rise significantly. A tsunami warning was issued for almost the entire Pacific basin, although alerts were lifted for some countries, including Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. Some residents living near nuclear plants have been told to evacuate but the government says no radiation was leaking. It said the evacuation was a precaution after a reactor cooling malfunction. The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast. A ship carrying 100 people had been swept away. One train is still unaccounted for. The earthquake is the fifth most powerful to hit the world in the past century. Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.