Khabarovsk, Moscow (ANTARA News/RIA Novosti-OANA) - Russian rescuers involved in relief efforts in quake-hit Japanese city of Sendai pulled 12 bodies from the rubble in the past 24 hours, but found no survivors, a Far Eastern emergencies service department said on Friday.

"In the past 24 hours, rescuers checked and cleared a zone where 12 dead bodies were found. Search and rescue efforts would continue on Friday," a spokesman for the emergencies ministry`s Far Eastern department, Sergei Viktorov, said.

Seven dead bodies were found by the Russian team on Wednesday. So far, 165 Russian specialists are involved in rescue efforts in Japan.

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan last Friday, leaving some 5,700 dead and 9,500 or missing, according to most recent updates.

Aftershocks continue to rattle the area. Three 5.0-magnitude tremors were registered in the area on Friday morning, followed by 4.8- and 4.9-magnitude aftershocks. No tsunami warning was issued.

A Russian plane is to evacuate up to 162 Russians from the disaster-hit country on Friday.(*)

KR-BPY/H-AK

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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