In what brought back memories of the 26 December 2004 tsunami that devastated south-east Asia, killing 230,000 people in 12 countries, the world once again was shocked by the catastrophe that hit Japan and nearby and far-away countries on Friday.

Following a magnitude 8.9 earthquake, which was later raised to 9.0 magnitude, a tsunami slammed the eastern coast of the country, killing hundreds and mowing down cars, houses and all that came in the water’s way.

The scale of the disaster is still to be quantified, but the human loss, as well as the economic effects, of the calamity are enormous.

The tsunami reached as far away as Hawaii, right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and went on towards North and South America.

Japan is used to earthquakes – so much so that most of the buildings are specifically constructed to withstand strong shakes. One wonders how much greater the devastation would have been if an earthquake of a similar magnitude had struck elsewhere. The recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti were smaller, but they caused a bigger catastrophe because they hit areas that were not well-equipped to deal with such situations.

Yet, the greatest damage was caused by the surging water. Those watching it crashing through roads, fields and residences could not help thinking of its similarity to a Hollywood disaster movie – only it was real.

Fires broke out, adding to the difficulties encountered in trying to save people who were trapped, and there was also bad news coming from nuclear plants, raising fears of leaks and contamination. People living nearby were evacuated as a precaution, but, again, the extent of the disaster is still not known.

Ironically, the earthquake struck just after Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan had resisted calls for his resignation after acknowledging that his campaign office had unknowingly received illegal donations from a foreign supporter – days after his foreign minister stepped down for a similar reason.

What happened off Sendai has now put the political crisis very much on the back burner, as the country struggles to come to terms with what happened, help those that lost all their possessions within minutes and mourn all those who lost their lives.

The international community reacted immediately and is sending resources that wil be of assistance to the Japanese people in this difficult time.

The number of victims keeps rising, and only time will tell how many Japanese people, as well as foreigners living in the area, were killed. It will take years for normality to be restored, if ever.