Japan Tsunami Disaster

[Calista]

SOMA, Japan (AP) - Amid fears of radiation from damaged nuclear plants, Japan continues to struggle with the aftermath of a disaster on a scale that's still not fully known.

Officials have confirmed about 3,300 deaths in the earthquake and tsunami that struck Friday. But experts in involved in the 2004 Asian tsunami say there's no question that the toll is far higher, and warn that many thousands may never be found. Officials have estimated that at least 10,000 were killed in Miyagi state alone.

Millions of people along Japan's northeast coast are coping through a fifth night with near-freezing temperatures and snow but little food, water or heating. Up to 450,000 people are in temporary shelters.

Asia's richest country hasn't seen such hardship since World War II. The stock market plunged for a second day today, with the Nikkei losing more than 10 percent. A spate of panic buying has stores running out of necessities.

Initial estimates put repair costs in the tens of billions of dollars. That's likely to add to Japan's massive public debt. At 200 percent of gross domestic product, it's the biggest among industrialized nations.


Source: http://www.wtnh.com/dpps/news/international/death-toll-rises-as-japan-struggles-with-disaster-wd11-jpe_3747673




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