More than 360,000 evacuees were staying at shelters in 14 prefectures of Japan who survived Japan's earthquake and tsunami. Subzero temperatures and rainfall were stretching the resources of the evacuation centers improvised in schools and community centers, according to a report of DPA. The worsening weather caused Prime Minister Naoto Kan to call off a helicopter visit planned for Monday to Japan's stricken north-east. Aid has started to reach the refugee centers, and repairs are under way to damaged infrastructure in the disaster zones of north-eastern Japan, especially gas and water mains. The magnitude-9 tremor and subsequent tsunami on March 11 damaged 1,450 roads and 51 bridges and triggered 120 landslides, the National Police Agency said. There were still about 880,000 households without water in 11 prefectures, including 460,000 in Miyagi, one of the hardest hit. Meanwhile, the number of dead and missing rose to 21,911 as of noon (0300 GMT) Monday: 8,649 deaths and 13,262 people who are unaccounted for, the agency said.
