President Bronislaw Komorowski has sent condolences to the Japanese people after an earthquake measuring as much as 8.9 on the Richter scale, as well as a tsunami that followed, have caused the death of at least 200 people there.

 

Komorowski made the statement on Firday morning before commencing a debate on the government’s pension reforms.

The tsunami struck Japan while Europe still slept, and has now placed huge swathes of Asia and beyond on flood alert.

The Red Cross has warned that areas of the Philippines could suffer much worse effects, with waves potentially sweeping across entire islands.

Besides the Philippines, areas put on tsunami alert include Hawaii, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Coast of Russia and Central and Southern America.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, today's earthquake was Japan's severest to date, and the seventh largest recorded in the wider world.

Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a number this morning that Poles can ring to inquire about relatives potentially caught up in the disaster: +48 22 523 94 51. (nh/jb)

Source: IAR/PAP/BBC