People in New Zealand do not need to worry about radiation poisoning should a quake-damaged nuclear power plant in Japan suffer catastrophic meltdowns, an expert says.

New Zealand's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team in Japan are settled in the northern part of the country and about to start work helping to find survivors of Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami.

The Philippines government wants extra compensation for the families of its citizens killed in the Christchurch earthquake if inquiries find the Canterbury TV building was not up to scratch.

Live TV coverage from Japanese broadcaster NHK.

Yoshimi Okazaki lost her home and job in the Christchurch quake. Now her loved ones are missing in the devastating Japanese quake and tsunami.

Chinese parents who lost their only child in last month's Christchurch earthquake will not be getting special compensation, Prime Minister John Key says.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says the thoughts of his quake-stricken city are with Japan following Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake which devastated much of the country and left thousands dead.

More than half a million people have been forced from their homes in quake and tsunami-hit northern Japan, petrol has run dry and supermarkets are empty in what its prime minister says is the worst crisis to hit Japan since WWII.

The mothers of two former All Blacks based in Japan feared the worst when Friday's deadly earthquake and tsunami hit.

Japanese officials warned of a possible second explosion at a nuclear plant crippled by the earthquake and tsunami as they raced to stave off multiple reactor meltdowns, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress.

Three nuclear power plants in Japan have suffered failure, with a top Government official warning a meltdown at one of the plants was "highly possible". Over 10,000 people are thought to be missing as officials fight to avoid a catastrope

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The Robinson family of Nelson breathed a huge sigh of relief this morning when they finally reached their daughter in Japan.

A compilation of some of the most remarkable video to emerge from Friday night's disaster in Japan