Tragedy of Kitakami River by Giant Tsunami
The tragedy of Okawa elementary school by giant tsunami after Japan Earthquake.189 inhabitants of Kamaya district,74 of the 108 children and 10 of the 11 teachers died in the tsunami,March 11,2011.
After the big earthquake of 14:46, Okawa elementary school students in Ishinomaki-city, Miyagi-prefecture, led by homeroom teachers, and moved from their classrooms to a schoolyard immediately. Their parents had been already arriving at the schoolyard by cars of 5 to 6 at that time. Large tsunami warning of 6m height was broadcast at 14:52.
The vice-principal asked the residents, Is it safe to let children climb this mountain?, and adding Do you think this mountain will collapse?
The residents answered Tsunami will not come here, so far. Don't worry.
After taking the roll call of students, the school inside was dangerous for flying glasses, for the reason that the hill behind school was a bad place on steep slopes,and they supposed to go to triangle zone of Sinkitakami Bridge. Elementary school students led by homeroom teachers, went out from the schoolyard, as soon as, a terrible sound echoed out. The huge black tsunami and big waves spilled out from the bank of Kitakami River, struck the entire, and swallowed from a front of students. A teacher and students at the backward went up to the behind mountain immediately,and sevral numbers of people were saved. The tsunami overcoming the roofs of school building run up to 10m and destroyed all of houses around this area.
The tsunami swallowed to the school. Mr.Takahasi was looking at the accumulated wreckage on the school roof from behind mountain. Calling for help after a while, he found a woman and a child had grabbed a tree branch, and helped them. He heard the voices of children shouting while being swept toward inland help..., but the flow was too fast, and hiding in the wreckage, he could not find them out. Their voices went away gradually. It was snowing from evening on the day.
From the next day 12, trembling and crying, their parents began looking for their own children in the mud and debris, those who had thought that their children could evacuate safely. My child had been wrapped in a sheet of vinyl, in a naked state, the mud had been clogging in the ears, nose, mouth and eyes, and a tear rolled down from the eye of my dead child. A bus was waiting in front of the school at that time. Why couldn't you and children escape by school bus?
The next day,more than 30 dead bodies have been found within the school and at the foot of the mountain.