<P> The latest report from the Japanese National Police Agency report confirms 15,896 deaths, 6,157 injured, and 2,537 people missing across twenty prefectures, and a report from 2015 indicated 228,863 people were still living away from their home in either temporary housing or due to permanent relocation . A March 2018 agency report listed 121,776 buildings totally collapsed, with a further 280,923 buildings "half collapsed", and another 726,574 buildings partially damaged . The earthquake and tsunami also caused extensive and severe structural damage in north - eastern Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse . Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan ." Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and 1.5 million without water . </P> <P> The tsunami caused nuclear accidents, primarily the level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents . Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions due to hydrogen gas that had built up within their outer containment buildings after cooling system failure resulting from the loss of electrical power . Residents within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km (6.2 mi) radius of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated . </P> <P> Early estimates placed insured losses from the earthquake alone at US $14.5 to $34.6 billion . The Bank of Japan offered ¥ 15 trillion (US $183 billion) to the banking system on 14 March in an effort to normalize market conditions . The World Bank's estimated economic cost was US $235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in history . </P> <P> The 9.1 - magnitude (M) undersea megathrust earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011 at 14: 46 JST (05: 46 UTC) in the north - western Pacific Ocean at a relatively shallow depth of 32 km (20 mi), with its epicenter approximately 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku, Japan, lasting approximately six minutes . The earthquake was initially reported as 7.9 M by the USGS before it was quickly upgraded to 8.8 M, then to 8.9 M, and then finally to 9.0 M. On 11 July 2016, the USGS further upgraded the earthquake to 9.1 . Sendai was the nearest major city to the earthquake, 130 km (81 mi) from the epicenter; the earthquake occurred 373 km (232 mi) from Tokyo . </P>

Where did the 2011 tsunami hit in japan