‘Something must remain!’
Families try to find memento of their missing relatives at the ruined site.
Almost two weeks passed since the great earthquake occurred in the eastern Japan. Some people are trying to find any mementos of their missing family members while collapsed houses and other wrecks are still remained in stricken areas in Rikuzen-takada city, Iwate prefecture.
“I’m trying to find mementos of my missing daughter. Something must be here.” An elderly man who is missing his daughter said. He continued to find anything around in ruined town with muddy and rubbles. Not only houses but also some memorial things such as photos were washed away by the tsunami.
Although, residents who has lived for a long period can not realize where they are, because land marks such as roads and buildings were completely disappeared.
A man and his wife in Ofunato city are shocked at the sight when they returned to their home site first time since the earthquake has occurred. There are turned over trucks and collapsed house in a mess.
The wife said with grief ‘Nothing is remained. We drove out our car soon after the tsunami warning without having my purse and even my health insurance card.’ She happened to find a wine opener at the ruined site. ‘I could find just this’, she said in regret.
12 days passed since the disaster occurred. According to report from the National Police Agency, 9,079 have been found dead and 12,645 are still missing.
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