A total of 2,519 people are still unaccounted for in six Japanese prefectures after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011, the National Police Agency said Monday.
The number stood at 1,213 in Miyagi Prefecture, 1,106 in Iwate Prefecture and 196 in Fukushima Prefecture.
The death toll from the disaster came to 15,901 in 12 prefectures. This includes a then-6-year-old girl from the town of Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, who went missing in the disaster. In October last year, remains found in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, were identified as hers.
Deaths totaled 9,545 in Miyagi Prefecture, including the girl, 4,675 in Iwate Prefecture and 1,614 in Fukushima Prefecture.
After the disaster, police dispatched a total of about 720,000 police officers for search operations in affected areas.
As part of their continuing search efforts, police will conduct an intensive operation on Wednesday. They will also continue working to identify the remains of 53 people.
