Japan Earthquake

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake - worst in the history - has hit Japan with an epicenter near the north-eastern city of Sendai, claiming an estimated 1,000 lives and causing tsunami waves devastating much of its Pacific seaboard, fires and destruction on its way.

There are dangers of a nuclear reactor meltdown following an explosion at the Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima. People living within a 20km radius have been evacuated following the explosion and radiation levels growing 1,000 times higher than in normal times. Government is planning to distribute iodine - an 'anti-radiation' chemical, which can block the absorption of radiation by body parts, to people in surrounding regions!

For more details follow:

http://www.ft.com/indepth/japan-earthquake