The death toll in Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami reached 9,700. Over 16, 500 are listed missing, Xinhua agency reports referring to National Police Agency of Japan.

Earlier mass media reported of 9, 487 killed and 15, 617 missing, RIA Novosti reports.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reminds the readers that on March 11, the biggest earthquake (9 magnitude) in the recent years hit the northeast of Japan, triggering a 10-meter tsunami and followed by several powerful aftershocks. The epicenter is located 373 to north-east from Japan’s capital, Tokyo at the depth of 24 kilometers. A massive earthquake damaged cooling functions of the Fukushima nuclear plant, making the operator to pour seawater into reactors and let out radioactive air into atmosphere.  On March 19-21, traces of radiation were found in milk and spinach in farms near Ibaraki prefecture.