The death count in Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami has climbed to 10,035 people, NHK broadcaster reported on Friday citing the country's police.
The total death toll from the disaster could rise much higher as the police said 17,443 people are still missing.
The twin disaster that rocked Japan on March 11 also triggered a number of explosions at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, spreading fears of massive radioactive contamination.
Radioactive pollution around the plant remains high with radioactive iodine in seawater at 147 times the safety limit.
Two workers at the plant have been hospitalized after being exposed to high levels of radiation, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from the disaster zone and accommodated in temporary refuge centers across the country.
The Japanese government has said the damage from the disaster could total $310 billion.
MOSCOW, March 24 (RIA Novosti)
