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TOKYO: The remains of a woman who disappeared in the devastating tsunami in Japan in 2011 have been found and identified, police said on Friday (March 5), days before the 10th anniversary of the disaster.
“The skeletal remains, including a skull, were found on February 17” on a beach in the northeastern region of Miyagi, a local police spokesman told AFP.
Dental and DNA forensics this week revealed it to be Natsuko Okuyama, a 61-year-old woman who disappeared when the huge waves hit on March 11, 2011, he said.
READ: Japanese children from the 2011 tsunami shaped by the tragedy
The confirmed death toll in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear collapse stood at 15,899 in December last year, according to Japan’s national police agency.
But more than 2,500 are officially considered missing ten years after the disaster.
That has left many families in limbo, feeling unable to fully process the loss of loved ones whose bodies were never recovered.
Local media cited Okuyama’s son thanking the person who found the remains.
“I am very happy that they have found my mother as the 10th anniversary is approaching,” the Kyodo news agency said.
“This will allow me to sort my emotions and move on.”
