Posted on 03/25/2011 6:16:09 AM PDT by Red Badger
More than 27,000 people are officially dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11th.
According to the National Police Agency, 9,811 people are confirmed dead as of 9 PM on Thursday.
The agency says it has received reports of 17,541 people missing.
Most of the dead and missing are from the 3 hardest hit prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima.
The number of confirmed deaths in Fukushima totals 839, far smaller than the more than 5,800 in Miyagi and about 3,000 in Iwate. This may be due to the suspension of search operations in areas within 20 kilometers of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, because of radiation leaks.
Figures appear almost certain to rise because of the absence of family members to report the dead and missing. In some areas, entire families appear to have perished in the tsunami that followed the magnitude 9.0 quake.
Emergency shelters are accommodating more than 200,000 people, mostly from the prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, according to NHK figures. More than 30,000 people, mainly from Fukushima, have fled their hometowns to other prefectures.
Some survivors who have returned to their homes in areas where essential services have been restored are suffering from shortages of supplies, and are having to seek food at shelters for local residents.
The National Police Agency says at least 18,000 houses were destroyed by the quake and tsunami, and more than 130,000 homes were damaged.
The pain of the families is heartbreaking. Like the Boxing Day Tusnami, so many families will have a certain empty corner for the rest of their lives.
How many died in Katrina and you would have thought it was the disaster of the century. Pure politics.
Pray for America
How horrible and sad.
Prayers for Japan.
The authorities believe the toll is going to rise because in some places entire families were wiped out leaving no one to report missing relatives...................
Terribly sad. May they find mercy in the Next World.
Tōhoku Region Matters for America
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American Residents: More Americans live in Japan than ever before, with the numbers rising in each prefecture. Tohoku is no exception, with over a thousand American residents living in Iwate (187), Miyagi (541), and Fukushima (339) in 2009.
---snip---
Fukushima is the gateway connecting Tohoku with Tokyo. Electricity generation is a major industry and the now beleaguered nuclear complexes are the largest in Japan. Miyagi is home to Sendai, the largest city in the region with a population of 1.03 million, and regional center of manufacturing, as well as transportation and commerce through its large port. Miyagi is particularly noted for its high-quality rice production and fisheries. Iwate, conversely, is rugged and sparsely populated. With forests covering 75% of the prefecture, forestry is a major industry while its natural beauty has been a draw for tourism. CSIS expert Mike Green explains that most of the population in this area of Japan is elderly – the average age is 65 years old. Together they are three unique prefectures that enrich the US-Japan partnership in their own way.
Just very sad, prayers offered often. That’s a number that’s hard to imagine.
***More than 27,000 people are officially dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11th.***
But, 3 have been sickened by radiation! Does that not worry anyone?
It is so sad, still hearing stories of aid not reaching the homeless survivors in the shelters, in addition to the mounting death toll and grief of family members left behind. Japan has been hit very hard. God bless them and have mercy on them.
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