Body of woman, who went missing in 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, identified

Days before the 10th anniversary of the devastating 2011 Japan tsunami that killed over 15,500 people, the remains of a woman has been found and identified who had gone missing in the disaster. On February 17, skeletal remains, including a skull were found on a beach in the northeastern region of Miyagi, a local police spokesman told AFP.

He added that forensic dental and DNA analysis done this week has revealed that the remains are of Natsuko Okuyama, a 61-year-old woman who disappeared when enormous waves swept in on March 11, 2011. 

More than 2,500 are still officially till date missing in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown, the death toll of which stands at 15,899 as of December 2020, according to Japan’s national police agency. 

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The quake of magnitude 9 had struck the nation at 2.46 pm local time on March 11, 2011, and has left many families in limbo, who have not fully recovered from the loss of their loved ones, whose bodies were never retrieved.

Okuyama’s son thanked the person who found the remains, saying, “I’m extremely happy that my mother was found as the 10th anniversary is coming up,” quoted local news agency Kyodo. He added, “This will allow me to get my emotions in order and move forward.”