13-meter tsunami hit Rikuzentakata inland area
Japanese researchers have confirmed that a 13-meter tsunami hit a shelter one kilometer from the coast of Rikuzen-takata City in Iwate Prefecture on March 11th. The researchers from the University of Tokyo and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology say that the tsunami reached beams near the ceiling of a gymnasium where many people were sheltering after the initial quake. Many of them were swept away and drowned. The researchers say the tsunami travelled at a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour and the waves were so powerful that they carried mountain rocks weighing about 20 tons each to places around the sports center. A researcher said he believes the tsunami quickly reached the 2nd floor of the gymnasium and it would have been very difficult for people to evacuate to higher places. The researchers also found that an estimated 16-meter tsunami struck a hotel on the coast of the city. They confirmed that the waves destroyed facilities up to the 4th floor of the building. Sunday, March 27, 2011 20:08 +0900 (JST)