A National Police Agency tally as of 2 a.m. Saturday said that 151 people were killed and 547 others were missing following the magnitude 8.8 quake, Kyodo news agency reported Saturday.

More than 1,000 people were feared killed by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck northeastern and eastern Japan and a massive tsunami it triggered on Friday, Kyodo said.

The massive quake triggered huge tsunami along Japan's Pacific coast, and enormous waves smashed the northern parts of the coast in particular. The tsunami has swept away houses, cars and ships.

The death toll is likely to surpass 1,000 as about 1,800 houses in Fukushima Prefecture were found to have been devastated, Kyodo said, citing the Defense Ministry.

The Miyagi prefectural police found 200 to 300 bodies in Wakabayashi Ward in the city of Sendai after a 10-meter tsunami washed the port.

Also in Sendai, authorities evacuated 60,000-70,000 people to around 200 shelters, according to the report.

Several hundred other people were injured across an extensive area of Japan, the police said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2011)