«*» RUKHSANA«*» The town that drowned Fresh pictures from the port where 10,000 people are missing after it was swept away by the mega quake

The town that drowned Fresh pictures from the port where 10,000 people are missing after it was swept away by the megaquake         * 10,000 people missing in Minamisanriku 24 hours after double disaster struck     * Official death toll hits 574, but hundreds believed to be buried under rubble or washed away by waves     * Explosion at nuclear power plant, but experts say reactor is not at risk     * Number of people contaminated with radiation could reach 160     * Region hit by repeated aftershocks, some up 6.8-magnitude     * Rescue operation begins but some areas still cut off by road damage and flood waters     * Force of quake shifts Japan 8ft to the East     Just 48 hours ago, it was a picturesque fishing town where tourists flocked to enjoy the coastal air and natural hot springs. But this horrifying picture shows all that remains of Minami Sanriku after it was destroyed by the tsunami that has wreaked devastation across Japan.     Last night, the official death toll from Friday's 8.9 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tidal wave stood at 1,700 people – although it is feared the final total could rise sharply once a full picture of the catastrophe emerges.     In Minami Sanriku alone, 10,000 people could have died – more than half of the city's population.             Precautions: Amid continuing aftershocks, Japanese news presenters wear hard hats as they announce that 9,500 are missing in the port of Minami Sanriku     __._,_.__