Japanese authorities confirmed on Wednesday that more than 13,000 people were killed or are missing as a result of last Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, the NHK TV channel said.
Police figures put the number of confirmed dead at 4,340.
Large parts of eastern Japan were left devastated after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast last Friday, sparking a powerful tsunami.
The earthquake knocked out cooling systems at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Complex, raising fears of a nuclear meltdown as blasts and fires were reported.
MOSCOW, March 16 (RIA Novosti)
