Japan Quake Death Toll Stands at 7,197

Japan Quake Death Toll Stands at 7,197Tokyo, Mar 19. -The death toll from Japan�s earthquake and tsunami now stands at 7,197, while 10,905 people were still missing, police reported Saturday.

Without ending rescue operations or the recovery of bodies amid continuing aftershocks, efforts were focused on gradually moving towards some semblance of normal life.

In the coastal city of Rikuzentakata, construction began Saturday on 200 temporary homes in a schoolyard.

According to official reports, 387,000 people have being evacuated to 2,200 shelters.

Meanwhile, efforts to alleviate the crisis at the Fukushima-1 nuclear plant continues, as workers tried to restart the cooling systems of some of its reactors in order to prevent further radiation leaks.

The nuclear crisis in Japan has been rated a five on the INES scale of nuclear accidents from one to seven. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster was a seven.

This assessment is increasing concerns, including outside of Japan, workers poured water on the plant in order to control the overheating of its fuel pools. (Prensa Latina)