Japan disaster has a human cost

I'd like to add my thoughts and prayers to those going out for the people in Japan affected by the terrible earthquake and tsunami.

Frightening scenes.

Devastation

But more importantly there's a human toll, which is very sad:

IWAKI, Japan (AP) — The confirmed death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan yesterday stands at 686, but the government says it could be far higher. 

The destruction stretches hundreds of miles along the coast, where thousands of hungry survivors have been huddling in darkened emergency centers cut off from rescuers and aid.  

While the full scale of disaster is not yet known, a top government official says reported cases alone suggest that more than 1,000 were killed.  

One report says four trains disappeared yesterday and still have not been located. Another says 9,500 people in one coastal town are unaccounted for and that at least 200 bodies had washed ashore elsewhere.

The damage to nuclear reactors could still add yet another layer to the tragedy.  Let's pray it doesn't compund the trouble.