You're reading: Toll from Japan disasters tops 6,500 deaths

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's police agency says more than 6,500 are dead and more 10,000 are missing after last week's earthquake and tsunami.

A week after the disasters devastated the northeast coast, the National Police Agency said March 18 that 6,539 people died and 10,354 were missing.

Some of the missing may have been out of the region at the time of the disaster. In addition, the massive power of the tsunami likely sucked many people out to sea, and, if the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is any guide, most of those bodies will not be found.