11 March 2011
Last updated at 06:02 ET
Members of a BBC orchestra caught up in the Japanese earthquake have described it as a “frightening experience”.
The tremor hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT) as 90 musicians with the BBC Philharmonic were travelling on a coach from Tokyo to Yokohama.
Tour manager Fiona McIntosh said they had arrived in Yokohama safely but the city was on tsunami alert.
The Manchester-based orchestra is on a tour of Japan where it was scheduled to perform 10 concerts in 17 days.
The orchestra’s coach was crossing a bridge when the earthquake rocked the east side of the country – the latest of a number of powerful foreshocks in recent days.
Safe building
Violinist Simon Robertshaw, 39, sent a text message when it happened.
“OMG we’ve just been in an earthquake over a bridge.
“Crikey – that was scary!!”
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck about 80 miles (130km) off the Pacific coast of Japan, triggering a huge tsunami.
Television pictures showed a massive surge of debris-filled water sweeping away buildings, cars and ships and reaching far inland.
Seismologists said it was one of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan for years.
A Philharmonic spokesman said the musicians had arrived at the Yokohama concert hall – “a safe building” – but Friday night’s concert had been cancelled.
The orchestra left Manchester on 1 March and is due to return on 17 March.
A helpline has been set up for anyone in the UK worried about friends or relatives in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami: 020 7008 0000.