Japan Death Toll Tops 9,000, Government Estimates Hundreds of Billions in Damage

Japanese police say the death toll in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami rose to 9,487 on Wednesday. Search teams continue looking through rubble for survivors and bodies. Authorities say 15,617 people remain missing. The final death toll is expected to hit above 20,000.

Aftershocks continued hitting northeast Japan on Wednesday. A 6.0 magnitude tremor struck around 7 a.m. and was followed by several weaker jolts. Authorities say the tremors have not hindered work at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant where efforts to stop radiation leaks are ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government has estimate the earthquake and tsunami caused as much as $309 billion in damage.

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