B.C. families with loved ones in Japan are waiting on pins and needles to hear of their relatives' safety after the biggest earthquake in the country's history.

Trevor Jones told CTV News that he has been unable to reach his son in Sendai, the epicentre of the quake, all day.

Jonathon Jones, 32, is an English teacher from Nanaimo. He relocated to Sendai four years ago, and keeps consistent contact with family members via Facebook.

But not today.

Trevor Jones made an attempt to contact his son early Friday morning, and soon found out through news reports why he couldn't reach him.

Since then, he has been watching the devastating images broadcast from Japan. He says he has never felt more helpless, as most communication lines in Sendai are down.

"I'm just really concerned about the fact that we can't get any information," said Jones.

Late Friday afternoon, he still had not heard from his son.

In Vancouver, Satoko Norimatsu was desperate for news of missing family members.

"I just need to know where my brother and his family are," she said.

After spending hours on the internet, she received the good news she hoped for -- they were safe.

If you are worried about a loved one in Japan, call 613-943-1055 or 1-800-387-3124 for information.

North Vancouver students are safe

Meanwhile, a group of North Vancouver students who started a school trip to Japan just as the disaster unfolded are safe, according to school officials.

The 22 students from Argyle Secondary were supposed to land in Tokyo on Friday afternoon, but their flight was redirected to Sapporo, according to North Vancouver School District spokeswoman Victoria Miles.

"Our first priority is getting them back home," Miles told CTV News.

The students were part of a digital media course offered at Argyle, and were accompanied by three staff members and another adult chaperone on a field trip to see Japanese technology firsthand.

When they took off from Vancouver International Airport on an Air Canada flight to Narita Airport there was no sign of any disaster.

But along the way, the pilot was informed that Narita International Airport in Tokyo was closed and the plane landed in Sapporo, some 1,000 km north of Tokyo.

The students are sleeping in a hotel, Miles said.

With files from CTV British Columbia's Rob Brown and Jon Woodward