A major tsunami has struck Japan’s northern coastline following a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake—one of the strongest ever recorded. Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water. Widespread fires are burning out of control. At least 220 people had been killed, but the death toll is expected to rise significantly. The Japanese government has declared a nuclear emergency. At least 2,000 residents near the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been evacuated from their homes after the cooling system at the plant failed. The Japanese government says it has deactivated 11 of the nation’s 55 nuclear plants. Meanwhile, a fire has broken out in the turbine building of the Onagawa nuclear plant. A tsunami warning has been issued for nearly the entire Pacific Ocean Basin.