- Title: JAPAN: Japanese and U.S. teams help clear earthquake and tsunami rubble
- Date: 5th April 2011
- Summary: ISHINOMAKI, JAPAN (APRIL 3, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS CLEARING DEBRIS AT MINATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. MARINE CAPTAIN ROBERT GERBRACHT, SAYING: "What you have here is you have some members of the United States Marine Corps, some navy personnel, and you have the army personnel -- and of course the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force personnel. What we're doing is supporting them in their clean-up here in the Ishinomaki area. We're here at the Ishinomaki Elementary School. And of course after the tsunami a lot of debris, a lot of destroyed vehicles were thrown into this area, a lot of mud as you can see. What we're doing is essentially supporting the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces, assisting them with clearing all this debris out, so we can focus on the displaced persons who are living in this school, beautify the area a little bit and also start to bring it back to full operational status so eventually life in the area can get back to normal, children can start going back to school." SOLDIERS PUTTING DEBRIS IN PLASTIC BAGS PLASTIC BAGS FILLED WITH DEBRIS IN FRONT OF SOLDIERS VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS CLEARING DEBRIS
- Embargoed: 20th April 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan, Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: International Relations,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA7TBSV30VEEIOG3CJ7NEEAHFRU
- Story Text: U.S. and Japanese military forces wound up a joint mission to recover the bodies of last month's tsunami and earthquake on Sunday (April 3), after the disasters left 28,000 dead or missing.
About 50 U.S. Marines and a handful of other U.S. military personnel joined 20 members of Japan's Self Defense Forces in the rubble of the northeastern city of Ishinomaki on the third, and final, day of combined operations. Thousands of Japanese and U.S. troops were mobilised on Friday (April 1) for the mission.
"What you have here is you have some members of the United States Marine Corps, some navy personnel, and you have the army personnel -- and of course the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force personnel. What we're doing is supporting them in their clean-up here in the Ishinomaki area," U.S. Marine Captain Robert Gerbracht told Reuters.
"We're here at the Minato Elementary School. And of course after the tsunami a lot of debris, a lot of destroyed vehicles were thrown into this area, a lot of mud as you can see. What we're doing is essentially supporting the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces, assisting them with clearing all this debris out, so we can focus on the displaced persons who are living in this school...(inaudible)..we try to bring it back to full operational status so eventually life in the area can get back to normal, children can start going back to school," he added.
The joint operation recovered 77 bodies, the Kyodo news agency said on Sunday (April 3).
The intensive operation saw the deployment of 120 aircraft and 65 vessels to three prefectures hit hardest by the magnitude March 11 9.0 earthquake and tsunami waves as high as a five-storey building causing Japan's biggest humanitarian crisis since it rebuilt from the rubble after World War Two.
Around 350,000 have been left homeless and more than 250 km of coastline in ruins. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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