Sat, 19 Mar, Shiogama Town, Miyagi Prefecture

There were stories of miraculous escapes but most were heartbreaking accounts of losses. Officials are still struggling to confirm the exact number of dead and missing people over ten days since the huge quake and tsunami. Police say 8,805 people have been confirmed dead and 12,664 are still missing as of Monday. Reports are still coming in for missing persons and the numbers are expected to rise. Debris and destroyed roads are hampering the search. Some people in coastal areas may have disappeared without a trace after being swept into the sea.

We unloaded the relief supplies at Shiogama Bible Baptist Church. This location will serve as a distribution centre and church members will help to bring the supplies to needy families either staying with relatives or in the shelters.

We were also requested to help an elderly lady to clean up her house in Shiogama. Madam Kamuro is 76 years old and her husband is wheel-chair bounded. Both managed to escape the tsunami with the help of neighbours but their house/shop was badly damaged. We spent the morning and afternoon trying to clear as much of the debris and mud as possible. Even with ten people working on one house, it was back-breaking and there was simply too much to remove. I’m not sure about what lies ahead for Mdm Kamuro and her husband. She was visibly moved by our help, especially with foreigners coming from thousands of miles away to clean her house.