A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes on record slammed Japan's eastern coast on Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away ships, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control. Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicentre. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 544 people were injured.