The US Geological Survey rated the strength of the first quake as a magnitude 8.9, making it the biggest earthquake to strike the country and the seventh biggest of all time. ----------------

Know more? Send information and photos to 0414 284 637 or email them here.

---------------- Authorities have not yet been able to provide details on the damage, but the devastation appears widespread. Stunning TV footage showed the tsunami carrying burning debris across a large swathe of coastal farmland near the city of Sendai, which has a population of one million. Cars were carried from the surrounding streets into the Sendai airport, while farms were washed away by the powerful waves.

Other vehicles could be seen trying to drive away from the rapidly moving water. A large ship was rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city, an oil refinery in Chiba prefecture near Toyko caught fire, and the wave swept away homes in Fukushima prefecture. Scores of cars were shown floating in Iwate prefecture harbour, while Tokyo was in shutdown after the train system ground to a halt. The death toll is expected to grow much higher. Australians caught up in drama

Andrew Stevens, an Australian expat working in central Tokyo, told Fairfax Media the earthquake started small but got "bigger and bigger".

"(It) shook maybe 2-3 minutes," he said, via email, adding that his mobile phone network was out. He said Tokyo was in shutdown, with all trains stopped, and everyone was walking home. He reported experiencing three aftershocks since the big quake, getting smaller each time. Stephen Jones, MP for the federal electorate of Throsby in NSW, said on Twitter: "Stuck on a bullet train outside Tokyo after 2 earthquakes hit Japan. 8.4 quake bigger than 1995 Kobe Quake".



Another MP for the federal electorate of Fadden in Queensland, Stuart Robert, said: "Stuck on a bullet train outside of Toyko with other MPs as everything has stopped due to the devastating earthquake". A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the embassy in Japan was in contact with local authorities to determine whether any Australians have been injured.



"Reports are that communications infrastructure and mobile phones networks are slow," a spokesman said.



"If you have concerns for the welfare of family and friends who you believe to have been in the affected areas, you should first attempt to contact them directly.

"If you are unable to contact them and still hold concerns for their welfare, you should call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135." 'Pretty damn violent'

English freelance journalist Andy Sharp works in Yokohama, some 200 to 300 kilometres from the epicentre of the 8.9 magnitude quake, and said the earthquake was “genuinely scary”. “It was pretty damn violent," he said. “As it struck I was hiding underneath my own computer desk. And I looked out around 10 minutes later and everything had come down. “The bookcases had come down and the glasses smashed and vases broken.

“The house inside is a complete mess." City in shut down

Tokyo’s Narita airport shut down, Kyodo News reported. Haneda, the capital’s other main airport, was also closed, NHK said. Tokyo Metro, which has more than 6 million passengers a day, stopped operations on its nine subway lines, while the Shinkansen bullet trains also halted. Tokyo port shut all 19 of its water gates as it prepared for the tsunami. According to NHK Japan, more than 4 million buildings in Tokyo and surrounding areas lost power soon after the quake. The yen tumbled against the dollar after the quake, falling to 83.30 against the dollar from 82.81 before the quake struck.

The government has set up an earthquake response team and Prime Minister Naoto Kan said he would do everything possible to aid those in need of help. “We should all help each other to minimise the damage,” he said. “We ask you to act in such a way that it will be possible to minimise the damage.” Several quakes had hit the same region in recent days, including a 7.3 magnitude one on Wednesday. Aussie MPs stranded on bullet train

Five Australian federal MPs are stranded in a bullet train between Kyoto and Tokyo without food and water after the massive quake.

Among the politicians who were on their way to Tokyo on board the high-speed train are Michaelia Cash from Western Australia, Mr Stuart Robert from the Australian Capital Territory, Amanda Rishworth from South Australia, Steven Jones from New South Wales and Natalie Hutchins from Victoria. Mr Robert said the group of five was visiting Japan as part of a young leaders exchange. Mrs Cash told the ABC everyone on the train was unharmed but despite being over 700 kilometres away from the quake, they could feel the quake's shockwaves. "We thought it had just stopped at a station when the train started swaying and it was then that our host actually said to us 'no, we are actually stopping for some time, there has been an earthquake north of Tokyo'," she said. "We actually did feel some of the shockwaves ... I can only imagine what it has been like where it actually occurred."

Australian Capital Territory MP Stuart Robert said: "The rail authority will now be working on what to do with the many many millions of people who are now stuck on trains. There are many many more trains stuck." Australia stands ready to help: Swan

Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan says Australia stands ready to assist Japan, where an earthquake and tsunami has caused devastation. Mr Swan said the government was monitoring the situation carefully and offered all help to Japan.



It was a truly horrific disaster and the thoughts and prayers of all Australians were with the Japanese people, he said. "It is still too early to know the full extent of the damage but it is clear that this is a significant disaster," Mr Swan said in a statement. "Australia stands ready to assist Japan in any way at this difficult time."

Embassy workers in Japan are frantically working to determine if any Australians have been affected. Loading Anyone who cannot contact their friends or family can call DFAT's 24-hour consular hotline on 1300 555 135.



Staff reporters and agencies