Casualties and Damages

Death toll rises to 6,911 in Japan quake

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-18 22:23

TOKYO -- The National Police Agency said Friday that the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and ensuing tsunami have left 6,911 people dead and 10,316 others unaccounted for by 7:00 pm(1000 GMT).

Around 370,000 evacuees are now living in 2,100 emergency shelters, said the agency.

According to local media reports, a total of 90,000 Self- Defense Forces members, police and firefighters on Friday continued their rescue and relief operations, having rescued about 26,000 disaster victims stranded in quake- and tsunami-stricken areas.

Around 16,000 others were still stranded in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, according to the Japanese government.

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific coastal areas of northeastern and eastern Japan, triggering enormous tsunami. Heavy casualties and extensive damage have been caused in the disaster.