The National Police Agency said Tuesday that Friday's catastrophic quake and ensuing tsunami have left 4,164 people dead and 7,843 others unaccounted for in Japan by 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT) Wednesday.

A total of 2,207 deaths have been firmed in worst-hit Miyagi Prefecture, said the police agency, adding the figures stood at 1, 391 and 511 in Iwate and Fukushima prefectures.

According to local media reports, around 430,000 evacuees are now living in shelters in eight quake-hit prefectures, including Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima.

A lack of food, drinking water, medicine and fuel has been a common problem in quake-hit areas, where supplies of essential resources have been wiped out and communications infrastructures crippled.

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific coastal areas of northeastern and eastern Japan, triggering enormous tsunami. Heavy casualties and extensive damage have been caused in the disaster.