(CNN) -- Approximately 2,000 bodies were found Monday in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's northeast coast, the Kyodo news agency reported.
If confirmed, the discovery would be the largest yet of victims from last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Roughly 1,000 bodies were found coming ashore on Miyagi's Ojika Peninsula, while another 1,000 were seen in the town of Minamisanriku, where some 10,000 people are unaccounted for, Kyodo reported.
Officials said earlier Monday that the official death toll from the disaster stands at 1,627, with more missing.As of 10:00 a.m. Monday (9:00 p.m. Sunday ET), at least 1,720 people were missing and 1,962 injured, according to the National Police Agency Emergency Disaster Headquarters.
The number of dead is expected to go up as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.
Report: 2,000 bodies found in northeast Japan
