The death toll from Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern and eastern Japan will likely exceed 10,000, the Miyagi police chief said Sunday, according to an NHK report.
Naoto Takeuchi, head of the prefectural police, was quoted as saying that ''I have no doubt'' the toll will rise that high in Miyagi Prefecture alone, the hardest-hit region, while the official tally stands at a little over 800 confirmed dead in Miyagi and other areas, Kyodo news agency reported.