Minamisanriku
Minamisanriku (南三陸町, Minamisanriku-chō, "South three land"), also known as Minami Sanriku, is a town that was destroyed by the Japanese 2011 tsunami. The town is in Motoyoshi District, Miyagi, Japan. It has an area of 163.74 square kilometres (63.22 sq mi), and as of October 1, 2004 the population of the area was 19,170. The town was formed through a merger on October 1, 2005, when the towns of Shizugawa and Utatsu, both from Motoyoshi District, merged to form the new town of Minamisanriku.
2011 earthquake disaster
After 95 percent of the town was destroyed by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, only the tallest buildings remain and an estimated 9,500 people are missing, roughly half the population.[1][2][3][4] 9,700 people are confirmed alive and evacuated.[5]
When the earthquake struck, the mayor of the town, Jin Sato, was talking about the March 9 tsunami at the town assembly.[6] After the earthquake, Sato's safety was unknown because the tsunami hit the three-story building, but he was found alive and explained that around 30 people reached the roof of the building, escaping from the tsunami, but the tsunami hit them and only 8 people could remain there.[6] In total, 10 people survived at the building, but he was unable to contact most of 130 people who worked at the town hall.[7] He returned to government affairs, founding the headquarters for disaster control at the Bayside Arena, on March 13, 2011.[6] Meanwhile, the town hospital was one of only three major buildings that survived the tsunami. Close to 200 people were rescued from the roof of the building[8], while other survivors wrote "SOS" in white lettering[9] in the playing field of Shizugawa High school[10].
The town had two evacuation centres where residents could go in the event of a tsunami, one on the southern headland overlooking the town, the other back from the centre of the town. However, although both were 20 metres above sea level, the tsunami inundated them and washed people away.[11] One early report suggests that many residents may have evacuated to the nearby city of Tome, Miyagi.[12]
The town is the site of the first field hospital established by an outside nation offering assistance following the disaster. An initial team of five doctors from Israel set up a surgery in preparation for a larger team once needs were assessed. Several dozen people were disassembled. [13]
Transportation
The Kesennuma Line includes the following stops: Rikuzen-Togura, Shizugawa, Shizuhama, Utatsu, and Rikuzen-Minato.
Major roads include Route 45 and Route 398.
See also
References
- ^ "9,500 still unaccounted in Minamisanriku of Japan's Miyagi Prefecture: Kyodo". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
- ^ Kyung Lah, CNN (March 12, 2011). "Rescuers scramble to save lives as aftershocks jolt Japan". CNN.com. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ 9,500 People Reported Missing in Small Town Following Japan Quake
- ^ Devastating pictures from the port where 10,000 are missing after it was swept away by the megaquake, peoplestar.co.uk, Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
- ^ [1](Japanese)
- ^ a b c "安否不明の町長生還 骨組みだけの庁舎で一夜 宮城・南三陸" (in Japanese). Kahoku Shimpo. March 14, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
- ^ "南三陸町 庁舎１０人奇跡の生還" (in Japanese). Tokyo Shimbun. March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
- ^ Carswell, Andrew (March 14, 2011). "Minami Sanriku - the town that disappeared in the Japan earthquake". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
- ^ Flock, Elizabeth (March 13, 2011). "Japan tsunami: Minamisanriku, a fishing port that vanished". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Zenrin Co. Ltd. (2011). "Google Maps". Google. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Natures fury leaves a silt-covered graveyard The Age, 16 March 2011
- ^ 2,000 bodies found on Japanese shores ABC Sydney, 14 March 2011
- ^ "Israel first to set up field hospital in Japan", The Jerusalem Post, 21 March 2011, retrieved 2011-03-21
External links
- Official website Template:Ja icon
- News Video of Tsunami Destroying Minamisanriku The Telegraph, UK news outlet
- Video of Tsunami Aftermath in Minamisanriku "Some Kind of Armageddon", Channel 4 News, UK
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38°40′40″N 141°26′47″E / 38.67778°N 141.44639°E
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