Foreign governments urge nationals to leave Japan quake zone

US deploys experts to monitor Japan radioactivity
Tokyo (AFP) March 17, 2011 - The United States will monitor radiation levels in Japan using its own equipment and experts, as workers grapple with the unfolding crisis at a quake-damaged nuclear power plant northeast of Tokyo. Ambassador John Roos told reporters on Wednesday that 34 experts had arrived in the country carrying both ground and aerial monitoring equipment. They join seven experts from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, two engineers and health hazards experts from the US Energy Department already in Japan in the wake of Friday's massive quake and tsunami.

The twin disasters knocked out cooling systems at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo, sending temperatures soaring in the reactors and sparking four explosions and two fires. "We're deploying all these capabilities because there is a crisis going on and it's important to provide as much assistance to the Japanese as possible, and in addition we have our own citizens here in Japan," Roos said. Roos denied the measure displayed any lack of trust in Japanese capabilities.

The health and safety of US citizens in Japan "is obviously our highest concern, so the bottom line is it's not a matter of a lack of trust in the data that's being provided, but the fact that we have these tremendous capabilities that we are deploying here to Japan," the ambassador said. The chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, warned Wednesday that there was no water left in the spent fuel pool of the number-four reactor, resulting in "extremely high" radiation levels. Jaczko added that the severity of those radiation levels could "possibly impact the ability to take corrective measures".

Australians told to leave Tokyo
Sydney (AFP) March 17, 2011 - Australia on Thursday told its nationals to leave Tokyo amid the worsening crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant and the threat of aftershocks. "If you're in Tokyo or any of the affected prefectures, and we've nominated eight, but we're not restricted to that, we are saying that you should depart," said Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd after an updated travel advisory was issued. He cited "the state of the electricity supply industry, the state of water supply, the impact on road transport, the interruptions to train transport, schools being closed, and of course the continued manifestation of aftershocks". "Unless it's essential you be there, then we are saying that you should consider going, departing," he told ABC television.

The Fukushima plant, in the north of the country, has been hit by a series of explosions after Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami knocked out vital systems cooling the reactors. Radiation levels in Tokyo's vast urban sprawl of 30 million people have see-sawed without ever reaching harmful levels, according to the Japanese government. But it has warned people living up to 10 kilometres (six miles) beyond the 20-kilometre exclusion zone around the Fukushima plant to stay indoors. Australians have been asked to organise their own travel arrangements on commercial flights, with a team of consular officials based at Narita Airport to help. National carrier Qantas has been alerted to be on stand-by to provide extra flights if needed.

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) March 16, 2011
Foreign governments Wednesday urged their citizens to steer clear of quake-stricken northeast Japan and the capital Tokyo amid fears of further aftershocks and a widening nuclear disaster.

US officials warned citizens living within 80 kilometres (50 miles) of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant to evacuate or seek shelter amid mounting concern of a catastrophic meltdown.

Britain advised its citizens to consider leaving Tokyo and northeastern Japan though British officials said there is still "no real human health issue that people should be concerned about".

France's authorities said they were assigning two government planes to assist French citizens who wanted to leave Japan.

"Given the possible evolution of the situation, French citizens in Tokyo are recommended to leave the region for the south of the country or for France," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.

On Wednesday more than 180 people arrived in France after being evacuated by a plane that had brought French rescuers to Japan on Sunday.

Germany, Italy and The Netherlands also advised their nationals to leave or refrain from travelling to the northeastern region.

The quake and the tsunami it unleashed left more than 12,000 people dead or missing and knocked out the systems which cool the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo.

Radiation levels have risen sharply at the plant, making it the world's worst nuclear incident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Swiss authorities also called on citizens to leave the region, and the foreign ministry said it would put on charter flights if commercial airlines are unable to cope with demand from Swiss evacuees.

Russia will begin evacuating dependents of its diplomatic and commercial personnel in Tokyo on Friday, the foreign ministry said.

The Algerian and Colombian governments said they would send planes to Japan to repatriate their nationals.

Colombia might transfer its embassy to Seoul, while Croatia is temporarily moving its mission to Osaka, the foreign ministry said.

The ministry has already recommended to the estimated 40 Croatian nationals in Japan to leave the country. Serbia issued a similar call to some 100 Serbs on Tuesday.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that Belgrade's embassy would not move out of Tokyo, despite being damaged in the earthquake.

Also Wednesday, several large Nordic companies, including IKEA and H&M, offered to help their Japanese employees leave Tokyo and surrounding areas and relocate further south.

Swedish fashion giant H&M, which employs around 900 people in Japan, said it had offered its Tokyo and Yokohama-based employees help to relocate to a safer area, after having decided to shutter nine stores in the two cities.

The US evacuation order came as the chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission warned there was no water left in the spent fuel pool of reactor 4 at the Fukushima nuclear plant, resulting in "extremely high" radiation levels.

The United States set up a much wider no-go zone than the 20-kilometre radius perimeter set up by the Japanese, after US authorities reviewed scientific and technical data about the nuclear emergency.

US troops and pilots are also barred from venturing into the potentially radioactive area around the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant without specific orders, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan told reporters.

burs/gd/mm

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US warns citizens near Japan nuclear plant to leave
Washington (AFP) March 16, 2011
US officials Wednesday warned citizens living within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of a crippled Japanese nuclear plant to evacuate or seek shelter, amid mounting concern of a catastrophic meltdown. The evacuation order came as the chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) warned there was no water left in the spent fuel pool of reactor 4 at the Fukushima nuclear plant, resulting in "ex ... read more

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