tagged w/ Taipei
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First Breaking News...
MASSIVE QUAKE HITS JAPAN
Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Friday, triggering tsunami alerts and sending people fleeing out of buildings in the capital. The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath.
In Tokyo, crowds huddled together and tried to reach relatives via cell phone. Its epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said. It triggered a tsunami alert for various countries, the National Weather Service said.
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March 11, 2011 5:35 a.m. EST
Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan on Friday, triggering tsunamis and sending a massive wave filled with debris that included boats and houses inching toward land.
The number of fatalities was unclear, but Japan's Kyodo news reported at least 10 killed and numerous injured.
The quake prompted at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands to issue tsunami warnings. It was followed by powerful aftershocks that were felt in capital of Tokyo.
At Tokyo Station, one of Japan's busiest subway stations, people grabbed each other to steady themselves. Children cried. An announcement over the station loudspeaker warned commuters to remain underground.
With bus and train lines interrupted, workers and children poured into the streets after offices and schools were closed.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan appealed for calm and said there were no reported leaks of radioactive materials from power plants.
Firefighters battled a blaze at an oil refinery in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo.
"This was larger than anyone expected and went on longer than anyone expected," said Matt Alt in Tokyo.
"My wife was the calm one ... she told us to get down and put your back on something, and leave the windows and doors open in case a building shifts so you don't get trapped."
Richard Lloyd Parry said when the quake struck, he looked through a window and saw buildings shaking from side to side.
Such a large earthquake at such a shallow depth creates a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami is sweeping across the Pacific Ocean, with a wall of water heading toward at more than a dozen countries.
An earthquake of that size can generate dangerous tsunamis to coasts outside the source region, the National Weather Service said.
Humanitarian agencies were working with rescue crews to reach the people affected.
"When such an earthquake impacts a developed country like Japan, our concern also turns to countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, which might not have the same resources," said Rachel Wolff, a spokeswoman for World Vision.
In Philippines alone, the tsunami is expected to hit in the early morning and the government has ordered the evacuation of 19 provinces along the coast, which could affect hundreds of thousands of people
Authorities in at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands issued tsunami warnings, the National Weather Service said.
The tsunami could cause damage "along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," warned the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."
Tsunamis are a series of long ocean waves that can last five to 15 minutes and cause extensive flooding in coastal areas. A succession of waves can hit -- often the highest not being the first, said CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.
A day earlier, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off of Honshu, the country's meteorological agency said.
CNN's Kyung Lah, Faith Karimi and Kevin Voigt contributed to this report.
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March 12 2011 - 3:38PM PT -
CNN's reporting two "MAJOR" aftershocks. Tsunami alerts reinstated.
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March 12 2011 - 11:07PM PT -
Japan upgrades magnitude of killer earthquake to 9.0; USGS keeps number at 8.9.
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March 13 2011 - 2:52PM PT
http://ow.ly/4dvh0
Here is what I think is, thus far, the most horrifying video (no, no dead or dying people) of what the tsunami looked like, taken from someone who had time to get up to higher ground and watch the town around him get destroyed.
Just picked it up from Sean Bonner, on Twitter...
seanbonner Sean Bonner
by BadAstronomer
Seriously, this first person Tsunami video is one of the scariest things I've ever seen.
http://ow.ly/4dvh0
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[Scroll down -- if you're set with oldest to newest -- to see new photos and videos, along with updated news]
http://cbskllc.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/japan-earthquake-today-tsunami-warning.jpg?w=311&h=337First Breaking News...
MASSIVE QUAKE HITS JAPAN
Tokyo (CNN) -- An... more
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Visitors to Taipei who happen to enter the D.S. Music Restaurant expecting to find an elegant place to eat, perhaps with a jazz band playing gently in the background, are in for a shock.Visitors to Taipei who happen to enter the D.S. Music Restaurant expecting to find an... more
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Taipei's insanely efficient, remarkably punctual and shockingly clean subway system is a marvel of mass transit every city should emulate.
With mass transit ridership in America rising alongside gas prices and people grumbling about the level of service, the Taipei Rapid Transit System has many lessons to offer on how to run a subway system. With customer satisfaction topping 94 percent, Taipei Metro may well be the best mass transit system in the world.
The San Francisco Municipal Railway considers 65 percent customer satisfaction a good mark, but that kind of performance earns you a D in school. New York does a little better with a C average, and the Chicago "L" manages to keep 80 percent of its passengers satisfied. But Taipei is in another league.
What makes it so good?
Although there are just 69 stations to serve a city of 2.6 million people, the Metro is the fastest, most efficient way to get around. In the 12 years since Taipei Metro has opened, it has cut from three hours to less than one the time it takes to get across town. It carries 1.1 million people a day yet last year it experienced just 36 delays of more than five minutes -- an impressive statistic that makes this subway one of the most reliable in the world.
It's also one of the cleanest. Stations are remarkably tidy, particularly compared to those in America and even Europe. There are trash and recycling bins everywhere, and passengers are not only expected to drop their refuse in the right bin, they do so. Even the most crowded stations tend to have very little rubbish on the floor. Riders give the system a score of 95.5 percent for "overall tidiness."
Knowing when your train arrives is important when using mass transit, and few things are more frustrating than waiting forever on a platform. Most stations in Taipei have television screens that display real-time arrival information. (They also show commercials, but we figure the subway system, which cost $18 billion to build, has some bills to pay.) The screens in transfer stations also tell you when connecting trains arrive so you can pick up the pace if necessary. Riders gave the system a score of 88.7 percent for providing accurate arrival information. Taipei's insanely efficient, remarkably punctual and shockingly clean subway... more
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kushan
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added this
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4 years ago
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"Ice-cream shaped like feces is ready to be served at the Modern Toilet diner in the Shilin district in Taipei November 9, 2007. All 100 seats in the crowded diner are made from toilet bowls, not chairs. Sink faucets and gender-coded "WC" signs appear throughout the three-storey facility, one of 12 in an island-wide chain of eateries with a toilet theme."
I dunno how I feel about that one. "Ice-cream shaped like feces is ready to be served at the Modern Toilet diner in... more
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Members of the Taiwanese parliament exchange words and shoes after hearing the results of a recent vote.Members of the Taiwanese parliament exchange words and shoes after hearing the results... more
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Lonely Planet filmmaker Tony Jackson takes us to his "Top Three Places to Dance with Death."Lonely Planet filmmaker Tony Jackson takes us to his "Top Three Places to Dance... more
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Two strong tremors rattled Taiwan's capital early on Friday, officials and witnesses said, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties.Two strong tremors rattled Taiwan's capital early on Friday, officials and... more
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khsing
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added this
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4 years ago
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