Japanese authorities evacuated about 215,000 residents from areas worst affected by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, police said on Saturday.
As of 11:30 local time [2:30 GMT], 413 people are listed as killed and 784 are still missing. At least 1,128 received injuries of varying degrees.
The tremor, the most powerful ever recorded in Japan and world's fifth strongest, affected nine prefectures. The tsunami wave which followed was up to ten meters high and swept away houses and cars. Japanese authorities estimate the overall death toll to be well above 1,000.
Many coastal areas in Pacific, Southeast Asia and Latin America, including Russia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Chile and the Philippines, were put on tsunami alert.
Another powerful aftershock
A magnitude 6.8 aftershock earthquake was registered east of Japan's largest island of Honshu at 4:47 Moscow time [1:47 GMT], the U.S. Geological Survey said.
No tsunami alert was issued.
Japan's chief meteorological agency said aftershocks with a magnitude of above 7 are likely to continue for at least a month.
Several aftershocks occurred shortly after the initial quake. The strongest was measured at 7.1 on the Richter scale. Twelve hours after the initial quake struck off the country's northeast coast, a 6.6 aftershock earthquake ripped through Japan's western Niigata prefecture.
Aid coming
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that its officials are discussing relief efforts with Japanese authorities. The UN has also alerted the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a global network of 80 countries and disaster response organizations under the UN aegis, the UN News Center said.
Elisabeth Byrs of OCHA said some 68 search-and-rescue teams are ready to assist in relief efforts.
Mexico was among the first countries who announced it was sending aid to the disaster-hit country. The first group of rescuers with sniffer dogs is to set off for Japan on Saturday morning.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday Russia was "certainly ready to help our neighbors in tackling the consequences of this earthquake."
The president's envoy to Far East told Japan's Consul General in Khabarovsk that the region was ready to "render all the necessary assistance."
"On first request, the emergencies ministry, regional authorities, healthcare institutions, industry and transport infrastructure specialists are ready to assist in relief efforts," Viktor Ishayev said.
"Such a serious earthquake came as a surprise for us. The whole situation is yet unclear. As soon as we get all information, we will definitely inform you of the aid we need," Consul General Tsuguo Takahashi said.
Among other countries that have pledged various assistance and are waiting for green light from the Japanese authorities are the United States, South Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore, Poland, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom.
Russia lifts tsunami alert
Early on Saturday, Russian rescue services lifted tsunami alert, announced after a 10-meter wave struck Japan's eastern coast on Friday. A four-meter tsunami wave forced evacuation of about 11,000 at Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East, but no serious damage was recorded.
The Russian emergencies ministry still advises residents of Sakhalin and the Kuril Archipelago to stay at higher ground.
MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti)
