Chinese rescue teams are continuing their search for survivors in Iwate, one of the worst-hit areas in Japan. But sudden snowfall and dropping temperatures through the night in the region made their work tougher.

The change of weather resulted in a 10 millimeters of snow in Iwate. Although some snow had melted by Wednesday morning, the temperature remained low.

Chinese rescue teams started working on Tuesday by splitting into two groups which then conducted a carpet-search for survivors in 78 buildings over a kilometer radius. They left a mark on each of the houses after checking for survivors.

The Chinese rescue teams have been working non-stop since arriving in Iwate on Sunday.

Chinese rescuer Zhou Min said, "This place is severely damaged by the Tsunami. It's located in the corner of a gulf. When the water pours into the region, it's hard to discharge."

Meanwhile the Chinese rescueers are continuing to search for life. But alongside their Japanese counterparts, more dead are being found than survivors.