The Miyagi police head said Sunday that Friday's great quake and the ensuing tsunami is likely to claim more than 10,000 lives.

Naoto Takeuchi, chief of the prefectural police made the projection during an anti-disaster meeting held at the prefectural office.

The death toll will surely top that figure in Miyagi alone, he said.

Miyagi has been worst hit as its coast was nearest to the epicenter of the great quake, which was located only 130 km away.

More than 2,000 have died or remained unaccounted for so far nationwide, according to the police, while the government death toll has risen to 801.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2011)