Onagawa town suffering great damage (Third day after earthquake)
The Japanese text is followed by an English translation.
津波の被害を受けた女川町(震災3日目 : 朝9時ごろ)
港から1km以上離れた内陸部まで波が達し、市街地は壊滅状態。
両側を山に挟まれた平地部は、遠く港を臨む方まで、がれきの荒野と化し、建物や家屋のほとんどが原型を失い、基礎部分だけを残している。
山際、崖崩れ防御壁のフェンス上まで押し流された車や、小高い山の上にある家屋まで被害を受けている様子が、襲ってきた波の高さを物語る。
3階建てのビル屋上にまで乗り上げた車やがれき、鉄骨の骨組みだけ残った建物、港に近づくにつれ、凄惨(せいさん)な光景が次々とあらわになる。
港には、損壊した大きなタンクが転がっていて、地盤沈下の影響か、岸壁の高さまで海面が上がり、付近一帯が水浸しになっている。
基礎ごと横倒しになった建物や、大きく前のめりに傾いたビルなどを横目に、スタッフはさらにJR石巻線女川駅方面へと向かう。
小高い丘の上にある神社も半壊しているのが見え、駅前の女川町生涯教育センターのビルもまるで廃墟のような状態。
目を転じれば、JR石巻線の車両が破壊され、分裂した別の車両は、遠く山の中腹にまで流され横転している。
地元観光施設「女川温泉ゆぽっぽ」の名物・お座敷列車も、破壊された赤い車体を見せて横たわっていた。
[映像中に登場するレポーターは、東海テレビ放送 鈴木一輝 記者]
Onagawa town after suffering damages (Third day after earthquake, around 9 a.m.) The city center is destroyed after waves reached over 1km inland from the harbor. Flatlands sandwiched between mountains has now turned into a wasteland of debris, out as far as where it looks out to the harbor. Houses and buildings have almost lost all resemblance to its former shape, with only the foundations remaining. The damage extends to the mountain ridge, houses on top small mountains, and cars pushed up above the level of the landslide protective fence, indicating how high the waves had attacked. Nearing the harbor, a ghastly sight becomes more and more apparent; cars and debris on top of buildings 3 stories high and buildings with only the steel framework remaining. At the harbor, a large destructed tank is rolling around, and the area is flooded with water, the sea water level reaching as high as the quay, perhaps due to the land's subsidence. Staff head further down to Onagawa station on the JR Ishinomaki line, glancing at remaining foundations of buildings that collapsed to its side or tilted forward. The shrine on top of a small hill is halfway disintegrated, and the Onagawa Town Lifetime Education Center building is practically in ruins. Looking over, the train carriage of JR Ishinomaki line has been destroyed. Another carriage that was separated from the rest is turned sideways, washed away far halfway up the mountain. A red Ozashiki train from local tourist hot-springs attraction Onagawa Yupoppo hot spring facilities also lies on its side, destroyed.
(Reporting from the site is Kazuki Suzuki of Tokai television broadcasting.)