271 senior citizens unaccounted for in Japan

Japan's government says it has found at least 271 senior citizens unaccounted for in the country.

Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma disclosed this at a meeting of cabinet ministers on Friday.

The ministry collected the results of surveys on seniors conducted recently by 1,441 local governments in Japan. Three-quarters of these local governments checked the whereabouts of people aged 100 or older who are registered in their areas.

81 local governments found a total of 271 senior people unaccounted for.

The ministry also carried out a sample survey of pension recipients aged 85 and over. It says the results show 23 people out of 840 recipients are unaccounted for.

One family in Osaka is suspected to have illegally received pension payments for an elderly relative even after he died in 1999. Similar incidents involving centenarians have been reported in recent months.

The ministry says it may be providing pensions to up to 800 people aged 85 and over who are unaccounted for.

It plans to check medical records and other information at local government offices to confirm the whereabouts of the seniors.