Rescue operations continued Wednesday, with 80,000 Self-Defense Forces members and police officers mobilized in the devastated areas, where temperatures have dropped to midwinter levels.

The National Police Agency said it has confirmed 4,255 deaths in 12 prefectures, while 8,194 people remained unaccounted for in six prefectures as of 8 p.m.

The death toll, however, will inevitably climb as the recovery of bodies, mainly in the tsunami-hit coastal areas, steps up after waters recede and tsunami warnings abate.