Japan is battling to prevent a nuclear catastrophe while caring for millions of people without power or water in its worst crisis since World War Two.

It's been three days since the massive earthquake and tsunami hit, killing more than 10,000 people. Terrence Terashima reports from Tagajo, the worst-hit city in Japan.

Houses damaged by the tsunamiFires blazing at an oil refinery Crude oil on trees.

These images are no longer rare in the coastal city of Tagajo, the worst-hit area of the disaster.

The tsunami triggered by the devastating earth quake swept across the whole city leaving debris and mud in its wake. The badly wounded nation has seen whole villages and towns wiped off the map by a wall of water.

The Japanese government says the death toll from the disaster is expected to exceed 10 thousand.

Locals are still reeling from the disaster.

Tagajo Resident, said, "I heard a voice calling: father, father, I think she was trapped and we could not do anything but listen to that voice all day."

Tagajo Resident, said, "My house was totally destroyed by the tsunami. We can't even go into the house with cars piled up in front."

Fires were blazing at a local oil refinery, causing tremendous damage to the environment...

Food, water and other necessities such as blankets are being delivered by vehicles but because of damage to roads,authorities were considering air and sea transport. Local authorities are preparing to double the number of troops mobilized to 100,000.

Officials confirmed three nuclear reactors north of Tokyo are at risk of overheating, raising fears of an uncontrolled radiation leak.

Kyodo news agency said 80,000 people have been evacuated from a 20-kilometer radius around the stricken nuclear plant, joining more than 450,000 other evacuees from quake and tsunami-hit areas in the northeast of the main island Honshu.