One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, generating a tsunami that reached heights of more than ten metres along parts of the Tohoku coastline.
Towns including Rikuzentakata and Minamisanriku were largely destroyed and close to twenty thousand people were killed or never found. At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant the wave disabled backup generators, leading to loss of cooling, hydrogen explosions and the release of radioactive material.
More than 150,000 residents were evacuated from the surrounding area. The accident prompted nuclear safety reviews worldwide and Germany's decision to accelerate its exit from nuclear power.
