TOKYO, March 12 (Reuters) - Following are main developments in the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck northeast Japan on Friday.
* Death toll expected to exceed 1,300, domestic media say, with most people appeared to have drowned.
* Authorities move tens of thousands of residents from area near two nuclear plants in Fukushima prefecture, some 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, as they try to reduce pressure in the reactors.
* Prime Minister Naoto Kan says small amount of radiation released from one Fukushima nuclear plant.
* Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which operates the plants, quoted by Kyodo news agency as saying fuel may have been damaged by falling water levels at Daiichi nuclear plant.
* Tepco warns of severe power outages over the weekend and says there will be power outages by rotation for at least a few weeks.
* Thousands flee coastal areas in North and South America for fear of a tsunami on their side of the Pacific Ocean, but no serious waves appear to have materialised.
- Northeastern city of Kesennuma, with population of 74,000, hit by widespread fires, with one-third of the city submerged, media say.
- Strong quakes also hit northwestern Japan.
- Quake triggers tsunami up to 10 metres (30 feet), with waves sweeping away homes, crops, vehicles and submerging farmland. Scores of locations on fire, including a large waterfront area in northern Sendai city.
- Leaders of Japan's ruling and opposition parties agree on need to compile an extra budget.
- Bank of Japan will hold policy meeting on Monday and announce decision on same day. The central bank vows to do utmost to ensure financial market stability.
- Total insured loss could be up to $15 billion, equity analysts covering the industry say.
- Disaster sends oil, metals, and grain prices sliding on fears over its impact on demand, deepening their biggest decline in months; yen rises broadly on risk aversion by Japanese investors and expectations of repatriations by Japan's insurance companies; oil prices slides more than $3 a barrel.
- Japanese shares traded in New York fall sharply. Earlier, Japanese equity futures fell 3.3 percent.
- Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to open for trading as normal on Monday.
- All Japanese ports closed and discharging operations halted, shippers report.
* Death toll expected to exceed 1,300, domestic media say, with most people appeared to have drowned.
* Authorities move tens of thousands of residents from area near two nuclear plants in Fukushima prefecture, some 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, as they try to reduce pressure in the reactors.
* Prime Minister Naoto Kan says small amount of radiation released from one Fukushima nuclear plant.
* Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which operates the plants, quoted by Kyodo news agency as saying fuel may have been damaged by falling water levels at Daiichi nuclear plant.
* Tepco warns of severe power outages over the weekend and says there will be power outages by rotation for at least a few weeks.
* Thousands flee coastal areas in North and South America for fear of a tsunami on their side of the Pacific Ocean, but no serious waves appear to have materialised.
- Northeastern city of Kesennuma, with population of 74,000, hit by widespread fires, with one-third of the city submerged, media say.
- Strong quakes also hit northwestern Japan.
- Quake triggers tsunami up to 10 metres (30 feet), with waves sweeping away homes, crops, vehicles and submerging farmland. Scores of locations on fire, including a large waterfront area in northern Sendai city.
- Leaders of Japan's ruling and opposition parties agree on need to compile an extra budget.
- Bank of Japan will hold policy meeting on Monday and announce decision on same day. The central bank vows to do utmost to ensure financial market stability.
- Total insured loss could be up to $15 billion, equity analysts covering the industry say.
- Disaster sends oil, metals, and grain prices sliding on fears over its impact on demand, deepening their biggest decline in months; yen rises broadly on risk aversion by Japanese investors and expectations of repatriations by Japan's insurance companies; oil prices slides more than $3 a barrel.
- Japanese shares traded in New York fall sharply. Earlier, Japanese equity futures fell 3.3 percent.
- Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to open for trading as normal on Monday.
- All Japanese ports closed and discharging operations halted, shippers report.
(Tokyo bureau; World Desk Asia, Singapore +65 6870 3815)
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