Video: 'Japan Earthquake Early Warning 3/11/2011 (w/ English subtitles)'

(Friday, March 11, 2011, 2:46 p.m. Japan Standard Time; during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami) — A magnitude-9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami struck 80 miles off Japan’s northeastern coast at Sendai today, killing 15,899 people and severely damaging the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture.

The quake struck about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo, causing a tsunami that swept away people, homes, vehicles and ships. Tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed, nuclear power plants were damaged, with three reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima facility.

Video: 'Rare Video: Japan Tsunami | National Geographic'

In addition to the 15,899 confirmed deaths, another 2,529 people were reported missing, for a total of 18,428.

Video: 'Japan Earthquake Pictures, Video. Disaster in the Pacific 3/11/2011'