Japan has declared a state of atomic power emergency after the earthquake, the Kyodo News agency reported

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was shut down after the earthquake that hit the country."This is a precautionary instruction for people to evacuate. There is no radioactive leakage at this moment outside of the facility," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a news conference. "At this moment there is no danger posed to the environment."

Workers at the nuclear power plant which is situated in north-central Japan are having trouble cooling the reactor and authorities have asked nearby residents to evacuate due to a possible radiation leak, CNN has reported.

Friday's earthquake has been the strongest in Japan in the last 140 years.

The Japanese authorities have launched a mass evacuation and rescue operation in coastal areas, including the use of military ships. At least 93 people have been killed in the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, according to the first official death toll from police.

The official Kyodo News Agency reported that about 88 000 people were missing after a tsunami triggered by the quake swept away houses, farmlands and vehicles.

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