By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The toll in the magnitude 9 quake that triggered a giant tsunami in Japan has surpassed 12,000 while nearly 15,500 were unaccounted for, the Kyodo news agency reported Sunday.
The twin disaster that hit Japan March 11 also triggered a number of explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which caused radioactive leak.
Over 165,000 people have been evacuated from the disaster zone and accommodated in temporary refuge centres across the country.
The Japanese government has said the damage from the disaster could total $310 billion.
Meanwhile, Russian emergencies services said Sunday that radiation levels are within the norm in Russia’s Far East and the danger of radioactive pollution in the region following the nuclear crisis at Fukushima is unlikely.