TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - Following are main developments after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck northeast Japan on Friday and set off a tsunami.
- More than 1,800 people likely dead or missing from the quake and tsunami, Kyodo news agency says.
- Kyodo reports 10,000 people in one town unreachable.
* Radiation leaks from a damaged nuclear plant and explosion blows off the roof, but authorities say radiation levels now lessening.
* Around 110,000 evacuated from 20 km (12 mile) radius around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, another 30,000 from 10 km (6 mile) radius around nearby Fukushima Daini plant.
* Up to 160 people may have been exposed to radiation, nuclear safety agency says.
- Nuclear safety agency rates the incident a 4 on the 1 to 7 International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, less serious than Three Mile Island, which was a 5, and Chernobyl at 7.
- TEPCO plans to fill the leaking reactor with sea water to cool it down and reduce pressure in the unit, Edano says.
- Kyodo says 300,000 people evacuated, 5.5 million without power.
- Quake triggers tsunami up to 10 metres (30 feet), with waves sweeping away homes, crops, vehicles and submerging farmland.
- Bank of Japan will hold policy meeting on Monday and announce decision on same day. The central bank vows to do utmost to ensure financial market stability.
- Toyota Motor Co says it will suspend operations at all 12 factories on Monday.
- Total insured loss could be up to $15 billion, equity analysts covering the industry say.
- Disaster sends oil, metals, and grain prices sliding on fears over its impact on demand, deepening their biggest decline in months; yen rises broadly on risk aversion by Japanese investors and expectations of repatriations by Japan's insurance companies; oil prices slides more than $3 a barrel.
- Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to open for trading as normal on Monday.
(Tokyo bureau; World Desk Asia, Singapore +65 6870 3815) Keywords: JAPAN QUAKE/SNAPSHOT (jonathan.thatcher@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
- More than 1,800 people likely dead or missing from the quake and tsunami, Kyodo news agency says.
- Kyodo reports 10,000 people in one town unreachable.
* Radiation leaks from a damaged nuclear plant and explosion blows off the roof, but authorities say radiation levels now lessening.
* Around 110,000 evacuated from 20 km (12 mile) radius around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, another 30,000 from 10 km (6 mile) radius around nearby Fukushima Daini plant.
* Up to 160 people may have been exposed to radiation, nuclear safety agency says.
- Nuclear safety agency rates the incident a 4 on the 1 to 7 International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, less serious than Three Mile Island, which was a 5, and Chernobyl at 7.
- TEPCO plans to fill the leaking reactor with sea water to cool it down and reduce pressure in the unit, Edano says.
- Kyodo says 300,000 people evacuated, 5.5 million without power.
- Quake triggers tsunami up to 10 metres (30 feet), with waves sweeping away homes, crops, vehicles and submerging farmland.
- Bank of Japan will hold policy meeting on Monday and announce decision on same day. The central bank vows to do utmost to ensure financial market stability.
- Toyota Motor Co says it will suspend operations at all 12 factories on Monday.
- Total insured loss could be up to $15 billion, equity analysts covering the industry say.
- Disaster sends oil, metals, and grain prices sliding on fears over its impact on demand, deepening their biggest decline in months; yen rises broadly on risk aversion by Japanese investors and expectations of repatriations by Japan's insurance companies; oil prices slides more than $3 a barrel.
- Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to open for trading as normal on Monday.
(Tokyo bureau; World Desk Asia, Singapore +65 6870 3815) Keywords: JAPAN QUAKE/SNAPSHOT (jonathan.thatcher@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.