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My heart goes out to the many who lost their homes in Japan this week. This straightforward Chinese article reviews the Japanese death tolls in the recent earthquake. 

Chinese Title: 日本地震已致7653人死亡11746人失踪. <!--more-->

<img src="http://devenv.chinesereadingpractice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20110320-INLINE.jpg" alt="Simplified Chinese Reading Materials: Japan Earthquake" title="Simplified Chinese Reading Materials: Japan Earthquake" width="100" height="100" class="imgborder alignleft" />The tragedy in Japan has been big news in Asia (as it has been everywhere in the world), particularly as many fear the radiation from the failed nuclear reactors will hit their shores. This article is chalk full of words you hate to read but which newspapers seems to love so much: fatality, refugee camp, disaster, missing persons, etc.


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<div class="postintro">
<h4>Click to Listen</h4>
强震 - [pinyin]qiang2 zhen4[/pinyin] - Strong earthquake
海啸 - [pinyin]hai3 xiao4[/pinyin] - Tsunami
截至 - [pinyin]jie2 zhi4[/pinyin] - As of, by [a certain time]
下落不明 - [pinyin]xia4 luo4 bu4 ming2[/pinyin] - Unaccounted for
罹难 - [pinyin]li2 nan4[/pinyin] - Fatality
沿海地区 - [pinyin]yan2 hai3 di4 qu1[/pinyin] - Coastal areas
避难所  - [pinyin]bi4 nan4 suo3[/pinyin] - Asylum, refuge
</div>
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中新网3月20日电  据“中央社”报道，日本3月11日<strong>强震</strong>和<strong>海啸</strong>灾难，今天迈入第10天，警察厅指出，<strong>截至</strong>19日深夜11时为止，确认死亡人数达7653人，<strong>下落不明</strong>者增至1万1746人，死亡和失踪人数合计1万9399人。

警察厅指出，<strong>罹难</strong>者遍布12都县，其中宫城县4449人、岩手县2501人、福岛县647人，此3县<strong>沿海地区</strong>遭海啸侵袭，灾情最惨重。警方接获的行踪不明者通报，岩手县有4253人、福岛县4503人、宫城县2895人，另外3县也有人失踪。

此外，仍栖身<strong>避难所</strong>的灾民总数约36万3000人。其中宫城县约有15万5000人、福岛县约13万2000人、岩手县约4万9000人。很多人因避难生活长期化而健康恶化，灾民依然处于严峻状况下。 

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<strong>China News Service, March 20 via [Taiwan] Central News Agency Report:</strong> The March 11 Japan mega-quake disaster is entering its 10th day and according to Japan's National Police Agency has confirmed that, as of [March] 19th at 11:00p.m., the death toll has reached 7653 people, and the number of persons unaccounted for has increased to 11,746 people, with the missing and dead totaling 19,399 people.   

The National Police Agency reports that the fatalities are spread over 12 districts, included among these are Miyagi with 4449 people, Iwate with 2501 people, and Fukushima with 647 people - these three districts are coastal areas where the tsunami was most disastrous. The police recieved reports of 4253 missing persons in Iwate, 4503 in Fukushima, and 2895 in Miyagi. Three other districts additionally have [reported] missing persons. 

In addition, there are still 363,000 victims living in refugee shelters. That number includes 155,000 people in Miyagi, 132,000 people in Fukushima, and 49,000 from Iwate. Due to long-term stays in the shelters, the health of many refugees is worsening, leaving many in a grim situation. 

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