Japan is still searching for the missing 3 years after the tsunami
An elderly man uses a magnifying glass to look at photographs on display at a gymnasium in Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on the eve of the third anniversary of the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The photos were swept away by the wall of water, but were later recovered and repaired.
Three years after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s coast, triggering a huge wall of water that engulfed entire villages and towns, the search for victims continues.
Japan on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the quake-tsunami disaster that swept away more than 18,000 people, flattened coastal communities and triggered a nuclear crisis.
Remembrance ceremonies were to be held along the hard-hit northeastern coast, as well as in the capital Tokyo as the country paid tribute to the victims of Japan’s worst peace-time disaster.
The official death toll stands at 15,884, with 2,636 listed as missing.
Efforts to rebuild devastated areas are also under way, although progress has been very slow. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to live in temporary or makeshift housing.
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