Russia ready to help post-quake Japan

MOSCOW, March 11 (UPI) -- Russia was ready to assist Japan in its clean-up and recovery from a devastating earthquake and tsunami, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday.

Medvedev said the country was "ready to help our neighbors to overcome the aftermath of this very hard earthquake," ITAR-Tass reported.

A deadly 8.9-magnitude earthquake rumbled Friday near Japan, triggering a tsunami. Japanese officials attributed at least 50 deaths to the earthquake.

A Russian Emergencies Ministry official said a tsunami wave reached the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, but has subsided. Officials said no deaths or damage were reported.

RIA-Novosti reported more than 11,000 people were evacuated from the Kuril Islands' coastal areas.