The National Police Agency said on Monday that the catastrophic earthquake and ensuing tsunami have left 12,157 people dead and 15,496 others unaccounted for in Japan by 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT).
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific coastal areas of northeastern and eastern Japan on March 11, triggering enormous tsunami, Xinhua reported.
Heavy casualties and extensive damage have been caused by the twin disasters.