Japan's earthquake death toll set to hit 25,000

[Henk Coetzee]

Ishinomaki confirms the huge number of its citizens missing
North Eastern port town was hit by 20ft tsunami
Fears that overall death toll has been terribly underestimated
The terrible toll of Japan's double disaster became clearer today as it emerged as many as 25,000 people could be dead.
As rescue crews trawled through mile after mile of tsunami-stricken wasteland, officials from the coastal town of Ishinomaki confirmed that 10,000 of their citizens were missing.
The unimaginable figure is the same given as in the town of Minamisanriku, also in Miyagi state, which lost around half its population when it was razed to the ground by the 20 foot high wall of water.

[Bertie Horak]

I think we all expected this. When I saw the first footage of the massive destruction, houses floating, cars being thrown around like toys - I was amazed that they could estimate the death toll so low.
It's really sad...