Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Japan shaken by quake after more evacuations urged
Japanese officials said the quake had a magnitude of 7.0, but the U.S. Geological Survey said it measured 6.6.
With workers still far from bringing the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant under control, the bodies of thousands of tsunami victims yet to be found and more than 150,000 people living in shelters, there was little time Monday for reflection on Japan's worst disaster since World War II.
People in hard-hit towns gathered for ceremonies at 2:46 p.m., the exact moment of the massive quake a month earlier.
"My chest has been ripped open by the suffering and pain that this disaster has caused the people of our prefecture," said Yuhei Sato, the governor of Fukushima, which saw its coastal areas devastated by the tsunami and is home to the damaged plant at the center of the nuclear crisis. "I have no words to express my sorrow."
In a devastated coastal neighborhood in the city of Natori, three dozen firemen and soldiers removed their hats and helmets and joined hands atop a small hill that has become a memorial for the dead. Earlier, four monks in pointed hats rang a prayer bell there as they chanted for those killed.
The noisy clatter of construction equipment ceased briefly as crane operators stood outside their vehicles and bowed their heads.
In the industrial town of Kamaishi, Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso led a moment of commemoration as a loud siren rang through a high school gymnasium being used as a shelter. He bowed while people who have lived there since the tsunami kneeled on makeshift futons, bowed their heads and clasped their hands.
The school's students will return to classes Tuesday even though 129 people are living in their gym. Some, like 16-year-old Keisuke Shirato, wore their baseball uniforms for Monday's ceremony. Shirato's family was not affected by the tsunami, but about half of his teammates lost their homes.
"A new school year starts tomorrow," Shirato said. "Hopefully that will help give people hope and allow them to look toward a new start."
The earthquake and tsunami flattened communities along hundreds of miles (kilometers) of coastline, causing what the government estimates could be as much as $310 billion in damage. About 250,000 are without electricity, although some of them because of the latest two quakes Monday and last Thursday.
Adding to the misery is radiation spewing from the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, 140 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. The 70,000 to 80,000 people who lived within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the plant must stay away from their homes indefinitely.
With workers still far from bringing the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant under control, the bodies of thousands of tsunami victims yet to be found and more than 150,000 people living in shelters, there was little time Monday for reflection on Japan's worst disaster since World War II.
People in hard-hit towns gathered for ceremonies at 2:46 p.m., the exact moment of the massive quake a month earlier.
Vincent Yu, Associated Press
Buddhist monks pray in an area destroyed by tsunami in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, Monday, April 11, 2011, one month to the day after an earthquake and tsunami devastated the city.
In a devastated coastal neighborhood in the city of Natori, three dozen firemen and soldiers removed their hats and helmets and joined hands atop a small hill that has become a memorial for the dead. Earlier, four monks in pointed hats rang a prayer bell there as they chanted for those killed.
The noisy clatter of construction equipment ceased briefly as crane operators stood outside their vehicles and bowed their heads.
In the industrial town of Kamaishi, Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso led a moment of commemoration as a loud siren rang through a high school gymnasium being used as a shelter. He bowed while people who have lived there since the tsunami kneeled on makeshift futons, bowed their heads and clasped their hands.
The school's students will return to classes Tuesday even though 129 people are living in their gym. Some, like 16-year-old Keisuke Shirato, wore their baseball uniforms for Monday's ceremony. Shirato's family was not affected by the tsunami, but about half of his teammates lost their homes.
"A new school year starts tomorrow," Shirato said. "Hopefully that will help give people hope and allow them to look toward a new start."
The earthquake and tsunami flattened communities along hundreds of miles (kilometers) of coastline, causing what the government estimates could be as much as $310 billion in damage. About 250,000 are without electricity, although some of them because of the latest two quakes Monday and last Thursday.
Adding to the misery is radiation spewing from the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, 140 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. The 70,000 to 80,000 people who lived within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the plant must stay away from their homes indefinitely.
180,000 flee as Japan's nuclear plant crisis intensifies
KORIYAMA, Japan — Japanese officials warned of a possible second explosion Sunday at a nuclear plant crippled by the earthquake and tsunami as they raced to stave off multiple reactor meltdowns, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress. More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Operators have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Dai-ichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after the quake knocked out power and the tsunami swamped backup generators.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Sunday that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Dai-ichi's Unit 3, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. That would follow a hydrogen blast Saturday in the plant's Unit 1.
"At the risk of raising further public concern, we cannot rule out the possibility of an explosion," Edano said. "If there is an explosion, however, there would be no significant impact on human health."
Operators have been dumping seawater into units 1 and 3 in a last-ditch measure to cool the reactors. They were getting water into the other four reactors with cooling problems without resorting to corrosive sea water, which likely makes the reactors unusable.
Edano said residents within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the Dai-ichi plant were ordered to evacuate as a precaution, and the radioactivity released into the environment so far was so small it didn't pose any health threats.
Such statements, though, did little to ease public worries.
"First I was worried about the quake," said Kenji Koshiba, a construction worker who lives near the plant. "Now I'm worried about radiation." He spoke at an emergency center in Koriyama, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the most troubled reactors and 125 miles (190 kilometers) north of Tokyo.
At the makeshift center set up in a gym, a steady flow of people — mostly the elderly, schoolchildren and families with babies — were met by officials wearing helmets, surgical masks and goggles.
About 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure, officials said.
Up to 160 people, including 60 elderly patients and medical staff who had been waiting for evacuation in the nearby town of Futabe, and 100 others evacuating by bus, might have been exposed to radiation, said Ryo Miyake, a spokesman from Japan's nuclear agency. It was unclear whether any cases of exposure had reached dangerous levels.
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Operators have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Dai-ichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after the quake knocked out power and the tsunami swamped backup generators.
Wally Santana, Associated Press
Residents evacuated from areas surrounding the Fukushima nuclear facilities damaged in Friday's massive earthquake, are checked for radiation contamination, Sunday, March 13, 2011, in Koriyama city, Fukushima prefecture, Japan.
"At the risk of raising further public concern, we cannot rule out the possibility of an explosion," Edano said. "If there is an explosion, however, there would be no significant impact on human health."
Operators have been dumping seawater into units 1 and 3 in a last-ditch measure to cool the reactors. They were getting water into the other four reactors with cooling problems without resorting to corrosive sea water, which likely makes the reactors unusable.
Edano said residents within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the Dai-ichi plant were ordered to evacuate as a precaution, and the radioactivity released into the environment so far was so small it didn't pose any health threats.
Such statements, though, did little to ease public worries.
"First I was worried about the quake," said Kenji Koshiba, a construction worker who lives near the plant. "Now I'm worried about radiation." He spoke at an emergency center in Koriyama, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the most troubled reactors and 125 miles (190 kilometers) north of Tokyo.
At the makeshift center set up in a gym, a steady flow of people — mostly the elderly, schoolchildren and families with babies — were met by officials wearing helmets, surgical masks and goggles.
About 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure, officials said.
Up to 160 people, including 60 elderly patients and medical staff who had been waiting for evacuation in the nearby town of Futabe, and 100 others evacuating by bus, might have been exposed to radiation, said Ryo Miyake, a spokesman from Japan's nuclear agency. It was unclear whether any cases of exposure had reached dangerous levels.
Japan nuke agency upgrades severity of nuke crisis
TOKYO — Japan's nuclear safety agency has raised the severity rating of the crisis at its nuclear plant to the highest level, on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
An official with the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, speaking on national television, said Tuesday the rating was raised from 5 to 7.
The official, who was not named, said the amount of radiation leaking from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant was around 10 percent of that in the Chernobyl accident.
An official with the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, speaking on national television, said Tuesday the rating was raised from 5 to 7.
The official, who was not named, said the amount of radiation leaking from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant was around 10 percent of that in the Chernobyl accident.
Japanese nuclear regulators said the rating was being raised from 5 to 7
TOKYO — Japan raised the severity level of the crisis at its crippled nuclear plant Tuesday to rank it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, citing cumulative radiation leaks contaminating the air, tap water, vegetables and seawater.
Japanese nuclear regulators said the rating was being raised from 5 to 7 — the highest level on an international scale overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency — after new assessments of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant since it was disabled by the March 11 tsunami.
The new ranking signifies a "major accident" with "wider consequences" than the previous level, including widespread health effects, according to the Vienna-based IAEA.
However, Japanese officials have played down any health effects of radioactive releases so far from the Fukushima plant. They said the leaks amount to only a tenth of the radiation emitted in the Chernobyl disaster, while acknowledging they eventually could exceed Chernobyl's emissions if the crisis continues.
"This reconfirms that this is an extremely major disaster. We are very sorry to the public, people living near the nuclear complex and the international community for causing such a serious accident," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yuki Edano.
But Edano told reporters that there was so far no "direct health damage" from the crisis. "The accident itself is really serious, but we have set our priority so as not to cause health damage."
The revision came a day after the government added five communities to a list of places people should leave to avoid long-term radiation exposure. A 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius already had been cleared around the plant.
Officials from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that the cumulative amount of radioactive particles released into the atmosphere since the incident had reached levels that apply to a Level 7 incident. Other factors included damage to the plant's buildings and accumulated radiation levels for its workers.
"We have upgraded the severity level to 7 as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread from the air, vegetables, tap water to the ocean," NISA official Minoru Oogoda said.
The revision was based on cross-checking and assessments of data on leaks of radioactive iodine-131 and cesium-137, NISA spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said.
"We have refrained from making announcements until we have reliable data," Nishiyama said. "The announcement is being made now because it became possible to look at and check the accumulated data assessed in two different ways," he said, referring to measurements from NISA and Japan's Nuclear Security Council.
Japanese nuclear regulators said the rating was being raised from 5 to 7 — the highest level on an international scale overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency — after new assessments of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant since it was disabled by the March 11 tsunami.
Tokyo Electric Power Co.) EDITORIAL USE ONLY, Associated Press
This Sunday, April 10, 2011 photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) shows orange colored floats suspending"silt fence," that was installed under water to help prevent contaminated water from spreading outside the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant's bay. The tsunami-crippled nuclear complex is still leaking radiation after its cooling systems were knocked out by the March 11 tsunami, and the government Monday, April 11, 2011 urged even more people living around the complex to leave within a month, citing concerns about long-term health risks from radiation as the crisis wears on.
However, Japanese officials have played down any health effects of radioactive releases so far from the Fukushima plant. They said the leaks amount to only a tenth of the radiation emitted in the Chernobyl disaster, while acknowledging they eventually could exceed Chernobyl's emissions if the crisis continues.
"This reconfirms that this is an extremely major disaster. We are very sorry to the public, people living near the nuclear complex and the international community for causing such a serious accident," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yuki Edano.
But Edano told reporters that there was so far no "direct health damage" from the crisis. "The accident itself is really serious, but we have set our priority so as not to cause health damage."
The revision came a day after the government added five communities to a list of places people should leave to avoid long-term radiation exposure. A 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius already had been cleared around the plant.
Officials from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that the cumulative amount of radioactive particles released into the atmosphere since the incident had reached levels that apply to a Level 7 incident. Other factors included damage to the plant's buildings and accumulated radiation levels for its workers.
"We have upgraded the severity level to 7 as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread from the air, vegetables, tap water to the ocean," NISA official Minoru Oogoda said.
The revision was based on cross-checking and assessments of data on leaks of radioactive iodine-131 and cesium-137, NISA spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said.
"We have refrained from making announcements until we have reliable data," Nishiyama said. "The announcement is being made now because it became possible to look at and check the accumulated data assessed in two different ways," he said, referring to measurements from NISA and Japan's Nuclear Security Council.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Ryan Bailey fined
Ryan Bailey fined by Leeds Rhinos for jokes about Japanese tsunami
• 27-year-old prop also warned about his future conduct
• 'It was not my intention to offend or upset and I'm deeply sorry'
• 'It was not my intention to offend or upset and I'm deeply sorry'
Leeds have fined their prop Ryan Bailey and warned him about his future conduct after he apologised for posting jokes about the Japanese tsunami on his Facebook page. The 27-year-old, who won eight international caps between 2004-06, has also paid a voluntary donation to the tsunami relief fund.
"First of all, I would like to say sorry to all those who I have offended by my comments," Bailey said in a statement issued through the Rhinos. "Having reflected on the remarks that appeared on my Facebook page, I can see that they would be deeply offensive to those affected in the tragic scenes we have seen in Japan. It was not my intention to offend or upset anyone but clearly I have done that and I am deeply sorry for that."
Bailey could make his first appearance of the season at Wakefield on Sunday after a groin operation. The Leeds coach, Brian McDermott, said that like Lee Smith, Brett Delaney and Kylie Leuluai, who also missed last Saturday's home defeat by St Helens, he has "an outside chance" of returning at Belle Vue.
However the Rhinos' early-season injury problems continued when Zak Hardaker, the young wing who was recalled from a loan spell at Featherstone for the Saints game – and scored a try – broke his finger in an accident at home. He will be out for at least six weeks.
Gwen Stefani is the latest star to donate $1 million to help victims of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.
March 24, 2011
Gwen Stefani is the latest star to donate $1 million to help victims of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.
“I’ve been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture,” she said. “The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking, and I want to do anything I can to help. I would never be able to make a gesture like this without the love and support of all the fans over all these years.”
The money will go to Save the Children's Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund.
Gwen has not only made a personal donation but created a mechanism whereby her fans will be able to participate in her efforts. A charity auction will be announced next week where fans can bid on the chance to join Gwen at a special fundraiser in Los Angeles. Also available next week, a limited edition Harajuku Lovers T-shirt designed by Gwen will be available through nodoubt.com with 100% of proceeds benefiting the relief effort in Japan. Plans for further fundraising initiatives are also in current discussion.
Gwen Stefani has been inspired by Japan since she first toured there with No Doubt in 1996. Not only did she immediately fall in love with the country and it’s people, Gwen found a special connection to a district in Tokyo known as Harajuku, an area that thrives on creativity, music, art and fashion. The youth culture of the Harajuku district have been a constant muse for Gwen, inspiring both her clothing line called Harajuku Lovers and the song “Harajuku Girls.” Throughout her career Gwen has borrowed heavily from Japanese culture for many of her creative endeavors.
“We are very grateful to have such a generous donation from Gwen Stefani for our relief efforts in Japan,” said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children “Save the Children has been in Japan for 25 years and we are working closely with our teams on the ground to address the immediate and ongoing needs of children and their families whose lives were turned upside down by this tragedy.”
Last week, Sandra Bullock made a $1 million donation to the Red Cross for Japanese tsunami victims.
“I’ve been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture,” she said. “The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking, and I want to do anything I can to help. I would never be able to make a gesture like this without the love and support of all the fans over all these years.”
The money will go to Save the Children's Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund.
Gwen has not only made a personal donation but created a mechanism whereby her fans will be able to participate in her efforts. A charity auction will be announced next week where fans can bid on the chance to join Gwen at a special fundraiser in Los Angeles. Also available next week, a limited edition Harajuku Lovers T-shirt designed by Gwen will be available through nodoubt.com with 100% of proceeds benefiting the relief effort in Japan. Plans for further fundraising initiatives are also in current discussion.
Gwen Stefani has been inspired by Japan since she first toured there with No Doubt in 1996. Not only did she immediately fall in love with the country and it’s people, Gwen found a special connection to a district in Tokyo known as Harajuku, an area that thrives on creativity, music, art and fashion. The youth culture of the Harajuku district have been a constant muse for Gwen, inspiring both her clothing line called Harajuku Lovers and the song “Harajuku Girls.” Throughout her career Gwen has borrowed heavily from Japanese culture for many of her creative endeavors.
“We are very grateful to have such a generous donation from Gwen Stefani for our relief efforts in Japan,” said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children “Save the Children has been in Japan for 25 years and we are working closely with our teams on the ground to address the immediate and ongoing needs of children and their families whose lives were turned upside down by this tragedy.”
Last week, Sandra Bullock made a $1 million donation to the Red Cross for Japanese tsunami victims.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Work resumes at stricken Japan nuclear plant
24 March 2011 Last updated at 07:20 GMT
All six reactors at Fukushima Daiichi had their external power supplies restored on Tuesday Work had been suspended after a plume of black smoke was seen coming from the overheating reactor on Wednesday.
Later on Thursday, two workers at reactor 3 were taken to hospital after being exposed to radiation.
The plant was badly damaged by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami which struck north-eastern Japan on 11 March.
Radiation has contaminated Tokyo's water supply and food produced nearby.
The science ministry has begun to monitor levels of radioactive iodine and caesium in soil, water and air around the plant to determine the extent of the contamination, and how it will affect the farming and fishing industries.
There were reports that shops in the capital had run out of bottled water, after Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said that levels of radioactive iodine in tap water were more than twice what is considered safe for babies.
But radiation readings on Thursday showed levels in water in Tokyo had fallen back below the danger level.
Concern is growing among Japan's neighbours. Australia has become the latest country to ban food imports from the affected region.
Workers exposed Tepco, the operator of Fukushima Daiichi, said it had allowed work to resume on reactor 3 on Thursday morning because it was safe for workers to return, Kyodo news agency reported.
AFP news agency reported that fire crews were again using high-pressure water jets to spray water into the storage pond on top of reactor 3 to stop the spent nuclear fuel rods inside being exposed the air.
Later on Thursday, Japan's nuclear safety agency said three workers stationed at reactor 3 had been exposed to high levels of radiation as they were laying power cables.
Spokesman Hideyuki Nishiyama said the workers had been "exposed to radiation ranging from 170 to 180 millisieverts", AFP reports. An exposure of 100 millisieverts per year is considered the lowest level at which any increase in cancer risk is evident.
Two of the workers were taken to hospital.
Power restored All six reactors had their external power supplies restored on Tuesday night, but each piece of equipment has to be tested before it can be turned back on.
Once the cooling systems are restated, the reactors can be stabilised. However, the process could take weeks or even months, Tepco said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the situation remains "of serious concern", though there have been "some positive developments".
But officials have stressed that children would have to drink a lot of it before it harmed them. There is no immediate health risk to others.
Nevertheless, reports said the shelves of supermarkets in the capital had been cleared of bottled water by Thursday morning.
The municipal authorities plan to distribute 240,000 bottles of water to households with infants on Thursday. They estimate that there are 80,000 babies in the affected area. Each will get three 550ml bottles.
The authorities in the nearby city of Kawaguchi, Saitama prefecture, also reported radiation levels above safety norms in its water supply on Thursday.
Levels in Tokyo were later reported to have fallen below the danger level.
Rescue operation Meanwhile, exhausted and traumatised rescuers are still sifting through the mud and wreckage of towns devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.
Police believe the final death toll from the earthquake and tsunami may be more than 18,000 The National Police Agency said on Wednesday night that the official death toll has risen to 9,523. Another 16,094 people are listed as missing.
Most of the deaths - 5,700 - have been reported in the prefecture of Miyagi. Iwate prefecture has found 3,000 bodies, and Fukushima 776.
Police believe the final death toll may be more than 18,000.
At least 18,000 houses were destroyed and 130,000 damaged.
More than 200,000 people are living in emergency shelters. NHK said some survivors had attempted to return to their homes in areas where essential services had been restored, but that there were shortages of basic supplies.
The Japanese government has said it will cost as much as 25 trillion yen ($309bn; £189bn) to rebuild the country after the disaster.
Work resumes at stricken Japan nuclear plant
All six reactors at Fukushima Daiichi had their external power supplies restored on Tuesday Later on Thursday, two workers at reactor 3 were taken to hospital after being exposed to radiation.
The plant was badly damaged by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami which struck north-eastern Japan on 11 March.
Radiation has contaminated Tokyo's water supply and food produced nearby.
The science ministry has begun to monitor levels of radioactive iodine and caesium in soil, water and air around the plant to determine the extent of the contamination, and how it will affect the farming and fishing industries.
There were reports that shops in the capital had run out of bottled water, after Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said that levels of radioactive iodine in tap water were more than twice what is considered safe for babies.
But radiation readings on Thursday showed levels in water in Tokyo had fallen back below the danger level.
Concern is growing among Japan's neighbours. Australia has become the latest country to ban food imports from the affected region.
Workers exposed Tepco, the operator of Fukushima Daiichi, said it had allowed work to resume on reactor 3 on Thursday morning because it was safe for workers to return, Kyodo news agency reported.
While the cause of the dark smoke remained unknown, there was no fire and radiation levels in the vicinity did not rise, the company added.
The Japanese nuclear safety agency confirmed that the smoke had stopped early on Thursday, although steam continues to rise from reactors 1 to 4, according to NHK television.AFP news agency reported that fire crews were again using high-pressure water jets to spray water into the storage pond on top of reactor 3 to stop the spent nuclear fuel rods inside being exposed the air.
Later on Thursday, Japan's nuclear safety agency said three workers stationed at reactor 3 had been exposed to high levels of radiation as they were laying power cables.
Spokesman Hideyuki Nishiyama said the workers had been "exposed to radiation ranging from 170 to 180 millisieverts", AFP reports. An exposure of 100 millisieverts per year is considered the lowest level at which any increase in cancer risk is evident.
Two of the workers were taken to hospital.
Power restored All six reactors had their external power supplies restored on Tuesday night, but each piece of equipment has to be tested before it can be turned back on.
Once the cooling systems are restated, the reactors can be stabilised. However, the process could take weeks or even months, Tepco said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the situation remains "of serious concern", though there have been "some positive developments".
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes: 'Tokyo water works is new ground zero'The plant is 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo. The government has declared a 20km exclusion zone and evacuated tens of thousands of people. Those living up to 30km away have been told to stay indoors to minimize exposure.People in Fukushima prefecture have been told not to eat 11 types of green leafy vegetables grown locally because of contamination worries. Local producers have been ordered not to send the goods to market.Residents of Tokyo were warned on Wednesday not to give tap water to babies less than a year old, because levels of radioactive iodine - which can cause thyroid cancer -in some areas are twice the recommended safe level."If this is long term, I think we have a lot to worry about," Riku Kato, the father of a one-year-old baby, told the Reuters news agency.
Nevertheless, reports said the shelves of supermarkets in the capital had been cleared of bottled water by Thursday morning.
The municipal authorities plan to distribute 240,000 bottles of water to households with infants on Thursday. They estimate that there are 80,000 babies in the affected area. Each will get three 550ml bottles.
The authorities in the nearby city of Kawaguchi, Saitama prefecture, also reported radiation levels above safety norms in its water supply on Thursday.
Levels in Tokyo were later reported to have fallen below the danger level.
Rescue operation Meanwhile, exhausted and traumatised rescuers are still sifting through the mud and wreckage of towns devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.
Police believe the final death toll from the earthquake and tsunami may be more than 18,000 Most of the deaths - 5,700 - have been reported in the prefecture of Miyagi. Iwate prefecture has found 3,000 bodies, and Fukushima 776.
Police believe the final death toll may be more than 18,000.
At least 18,000 houses were destroyed and 130,000 damaged.
More than 200,000 people are living in emergency shelters. NHK said some survivors had attempted to return to their homes in areas where essential services had been restored, but that there were shortages of basic supplies.
The Japanese government has said it will cost as much as 25 trillion yen ($309bn; £189bn) to rebuild the country after the disaster.
Tokyo's tap water is unfit for babies 'Tokyo water works is new ground zero'
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes: 'Tokyo water works is new ground zero'
Tokyo's tap water is unfit for babies to drink after radiation from Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant affected the capital's water supply, officials said.
Radioactive iodine levels in some areas were twice the recommended safe level.People in Fukushima prefecture, where the nuclear plant is located, have been told not to eat certain vegetables because of contamination worries.
Workers have been temporarily evacuated from the plant after black smoke was seen rising from reactor
Engineers have been trying to cool the reactors and spent fuel rods to avoid a major release of radiation, after power to the cooling systems was knocked out by the earthquake and tsunami.
The authorities are warning people living in Tokyo not to allow babies less than a year old to drink water from the tap.
The level of radiation picked up in tests carried out on Tuesday was more than twice the level that is safe for infants to drink.
Radioactive iodine has also been found in water supplies in Tokyo at twice the levels deemed safe for babies under a year old to drink.
Raised radiation levels have also been found in samples of milk and 11 green leafy vegetables, in some cases well outside the 20km exclusion zone.
However, there is no suggestion that these levels of radiation pose any immediate threat to human health.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano said the level of radioactivity found in samples of spinach would, if consumed for a year, equal the radiation received in a single CAT scan. For the milk, the figure would be much less.
Experts say that safe limits for radiation in food are kept extremely low, so people should not necessarily be unduly worried by reports that they had been breached.
Raised radiation levels have also been found in samples of milk and 11 green leafy vegetables, in some cases well outside the 20km exclusion zone.
However, there is no suggestion that these levels of radiation pose any immediate threat to human health.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano said the level of radioactivity found in samples of spinach would, if consumed for a year, equal the radiation received in a single CAT scan. For the milk, the figure would be much less.
Experts say that safe limits for radiation in food are kept extremely low, so people should not necessarily be unduly worried by reports that they had been breached.
But officials have stressed that children would have to drink a lot of it before it harmed them. There is no immediate health risk to others.
The government has also ordered people living in Fukushima not to eat 11 types of green leafy vegetable grown locally that have been contaminated by radiation.Local producers have been ordered not to send the goods to market, and in the neighbouring prefecture of Ibaraki they have been told to halt shipments of milk and parsley with immediate effect.
The Japanese Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, said: "Even if these foods are temporarily eaten, there is no health hazard.
"But unfortunately, as the situation is expected to last for the long term, we are asking that shipments stop at an early stage, and it is desirable to avoid intake of the foods as much as possible."
He told a news conference that importers of Japanese foods should take a "logical stance".
Hong Kong has banned a variety of food imports.
The Food and Drug Administration in the US said that all milk and milk products and fresh fruits and vegetables from four Japanese prefectures - Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma - would be stopped from entering the United States.
Countries including China, Taiwan and South Korea have already been carrying out rigorous checks of Japanese food imports.
Setbacks The confirmed death toll from the earthquake and tsunami has risen to 9,408, and more than 14,700 people are listed as missing.
An estimated half a million people have been made homeless and some 300,000 people remain in evacuation centres or temporary housing.
Engineers were earlier forced to halt testing of the electrical system at reactor 2 after radiation levels spiked. There is also concern about the rising temperature at reactor 1.Power cables have been connected to all six reactors, and lighting has been restored at reactor 3.The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), had hoped to try to power up water pumps to reactor 3 on Wednesday but it is unclear whether that will now happen.
On Tuesday, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) senior official, James Lyons, said he could not confirm that the damaged reactors were "totally intact" or if they were cracked and leaking radiation.
"We continue to see radiation coming from the site... and the question is where exactly is that coming from," Mr Lyons told a news conference.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Marines deliver relief supplies to Japanese
Marines deliver relief supplies to Japanese affected by earthquake and tsunami
MIYAKO, Japan — As a group of 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters made their way along the northeast Japanese coast March 21, the destruction caused by the recent 9.0 earthquake and following tsunami became apparent. Many houses had been reduced to rubble and most of those that were not simply piles of debris, were severely damaged. Only a few had only minor damage, and others seemed to defy gravity as they were held up by broken supports. Roads were washed away, made impassible by gaping holes through them, and there were large boats washed hundreds of feet inland.
Until March 21, Miyako had received relatively little aid because of its remoteness. Marines with the 31st MEU have started to change that.
During the recent humanitarian aid and disaster relief mission, Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, delivered 800 gallons of water and 768 blankets to the Japanese Self-Defense Force to distribute throughout the area.
This was the first operation delivering much needed supplies to the Japanese affected by the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami from the 31st MEU.
“It feels good to finally get to do what we are trained for,” said Capt. Cory J. Jobst, a CH-46E Sea Knight Helicopter Pilot with HMM-262 (Rein), 31st MEU, before the operation took place. “I am really looking forward to the chance to help out the Japanese people.”
While unloading the supplies from the helicopters, the gratefulness was easy to see on the faces of the Japanese.
“They had been waiting for awhile, so it was great to get in there and deliver the supplies,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy R. Harris, a crew chief on a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter with HMM-262 (Rein). “They really needed them. You could tell just from looking at the faces of the Japanese Self-Defense Force Soldiers they were glad to see us.”
The actions of the Marines with the 31st MEU do more then just improve the lives of those affected by the quake and tsunami; they help maintain the long-standing alliance between the U.S. and Japan.
“This shows the Japanese people how much good we are capable of,” said Harris. “It shows them Marines care, and are willing to lend a helping hand.” Navy and Marine Corps involvement in the relief mission is part of a larger U.S. government response, coordinated through the U.S. Department of State, aiding the government of Japan in their ongoing relief efforts.
As part of Operation Tomodachi, the 31st MEU is ready to support our long-time Japanese partners and to provide assistance when called upon.
Until March 21, Miyako had received relatively little aid because of its remoteness. Marines with the 31st MEU have started to change that.
During the recent humanitarian aid and disaster relief mission, Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, delivered 800 gallons of water and 768 blankets to the Japanese Self-Defense Force to distribute throughout the area.
This was the first operation delivering much needed supplies to the Japanese affected by the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami from the 31st MEU.
“It feels good to finally get to do what we are trained for,” said Capt. Cory J. Jobst, a CH-46E Sea Knight Helicopter Pilot with HMM-262 (Rein), 31st MEU, before the operation took place. “I am really looking forward to the chance to help out the Japanese people.”
While unloading the supplies from the helicopters, the gratefulness was easy to see on the faces of the Japanese.
“They had been waiting for awhile, so it was great to get in there and deliver the supplies,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy R. Harris, a crew chief on a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter with HMM-262 (Rein). “They really needed them. You could tell just from looking at the faces of the Japanese Self-Defense Force Soldiers they were glad to see us.”
The actions of the Marines with the 31st MEU do more then just improve the lives of those affected by the quake and tsunami; they help maintain the long-standing alliance between the U.S. and Japan.
“This shows the Japanese people how much good we are capable of,” said Harris. “It shows them Marines care, and are willing to lend a helping hand.” Navy and Marine Corps involvement in the relief mission is part of a larger U.S. government response, coordinated through the U.S. Department of State, aiding the government of Japan in their ongoing relief efforts.
As part of Operation Tomodachi, the 31st MEU is ready to support our long-time Japanese partners and to provide assistance when called upon.
DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer
DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Sometimes it's a fast-moving ooze: A street becomes a stream, grows into a river and then a raging mountain of moving debris. Sometimes, it's a wet curtain of water crashing over a shoreline, tossing trees, ships and cars casually aside as a child would a stack of Legos.
Until a week ago, a tsunami was one of the most mysterious of natural events, its devastating power usually evident only in the aftermath. Yet from the first moments the earth started to shudder on March 11, Japan's tsunami was one of the most recorded disasters ever to be captured on film, lending a visual power to story-telling unmatched since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks almost a decade ago.
Quake footage was available almost instantly: Office workers running outside as building chunks slam to the ground; skyscrapers swaying like evergreens in a windstorm; pictures falling off walls; store stock spilling to the floor. One man kept recording as his living room seemed to fall apart around him. His camera caught his shaky steps as he finally rushed outside.
But as dramatic as the earthquake images were, the tsunami video — some of it live — was breathtaking. A handful of tourists captured the Indonesian tsunami in 2004, but there was much less variety and inferior film quality. Technology — particularly cell-phone cameras — was not what it has become today.
Japan, too, is unique — a nation that not only produces electronics but also focuses on technology, camera phones, handheld video and digital cameras. And it may also be the most well-wired country for recording such disasters. With its geologic history, seismic monitors and robotic cameras are mounted throughout the archipelago.
Japanese news crews quickly took to the streets and skies after the earthquake, leaving them well-positioned to capture the tsunami.
At times, they were too well-positioned: A video that surfaced late last week showed a local news crew abandoning a car with the tsunami approaching and rushing into a building as water began swirling around their feet.
What, though, do these images do? Do they change how we perceive the event? Do more higher-quality images of catastrophe make it seem more real or more movielike? Will we remember the 2011 Japan tsunami differently than its calamitous predecessors because we saw so much of it so quickly?
In the days that followed the earthquake, CNN producers constantly monitored social media sites to find newly posted material, and dozens of Japanese citizens sent footage directly to CNN, said Parisa Khosravi, senior vice president for CNN news-gathering worldwide.
"In this case, it certainly captured images that no one expected to see," she said. The story gave CNN its best ratings since President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, the Nielsen Co. said.
Viewers couldn't get enough — even those who were personally touched by it.
"I tried, but couldn't stop watching," said Maisararam from Banda Aceh, Indonesia, who lost her husband and three daughters in Indonesia's 2004 tsunami. "It was exactly the same, except they have this horrible footage, events unfolding right before your eyes."
One particularly arresting video showed water and debris rapidly rising as a group of people struggled to make it up a path to higher ground; CNN stopped rolling the shot — the fate of the crew unknown. In another instance, men who had raced to the top of a parking garage kept recording the tsunami even as one openly wondered whether he would survive or not.
The wealth of visual material stood in contrast to events at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex where six reactor units have had fires, explosions or partial meltdowns. As the water receded and attention turned to the crippled nuclear plant, the story became one of those events that television is poorly equipped to tell.
Images are elusive. Except for a handful of aerial shots, the drama at the plant has largely been seen in fuzzy video taken from many miles away. Occasionally, water is dumped on damaged nuclear reactors from the air, yet it's so difficult to see that it must be highlighted by editors in the pictures.
Evacuation zones have also led American TV networks to pull many of their teams out of the immediate area for safety reasons over radiation poisoning.
But no one knows what is really happening at the plant, or what will happen, and how much radiation is being exposed to how many people. That leads to less-than-illuminating reports, such as Lester Holt revealing on the "Today" show that his shoes tested positive for radiation.
Other than lost footwear, what did the incident really teach us?
Television frequently returned to old-fashioned and visually dull habits out of necessity, bringing a succession of experts before cameras to report the nuclear threat.
The uncertain aspects of the story quickly led to on-air debates over whether television was "hyping" the nuclear danger. NBC's "Nightly News" pointed a finger at the media in a report that minimized any danger to the United States. Fox News Channel's Shepard Smith labeled "sad and pathetic" Americans who bought anti-radiation pills in large numbers.
Yet his own network showed this headline Friday: "Growing Concern Over Radiation Plume Drifting Over Western United States."
But radiation is not a television event; it is, for the most part, something you cannot see — ambiguous, invisible, diffuse.
There was nothing ambiguous about the tsunami footage. In an era of unremitting visuals, it was imagery like none other — another example, in a time of technological change, of how we can watch the world unfold, even in its saddest, most frightening moments.
___
Associated Press correspondent Fakhrurradzie Gade in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) — Sometimes it's a fast-moving ooze: A street becomes a stream, grows into a river and then a raging mountain of moving debris. Sometimes, it's a wet curtain of water crashing over a shoreline, tossing trees, ships and cars casually aside as a child would a stack of Legos.
Until a week ago, a tsunami was one of the most mysterious of natural events, its devastating power usually evident only in the aftermath. Yet from the first moments the earth started to shudder on March 11, Japan's tsunami was one of the most recorded disasters ever to be captured on film, lending a visual power to story-telling unmatched since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks almost a decade ago.
Quake footage was available almost instantly: Office workers running outside as building chunks slam to the ground; skyscrapers swaying like evergreens in a windstorm; pictures falling off walls; store stock spilling to the floor. One man kept recording as his living room seemed to fall apart around him. His camera caught his shaky steps as he finally rushed outside.
But as dramatic as the earthquake images were, the tsunami video — some of it live — was breathtaking. A handful of tourists captured the Indonesian tsunami in 2004, but there was much less variety and inferior film quality. Technology — particularly cell-phone cameras — was not what it has become today.
Japan, too, is unique — a nation that not only produces electronics but also focuses on technology, camera phones, handheld video and digital cameras. And it may also be the most well-wired country for recording such disasters. With its geologic history, seismic monitors and robotic cameras are mounted throughout the archipelago.
Japanese news crews quickly took to the streets and skies after the earthquake, leaving them well-positioned to capture the tsunami.
At times, they were too well-positioned: A video that surfaced late last week showed a local news crew abandoning a car with the tsunami approaching and rushing into a building as water began swirling around their feet.
What, though, do these images do? Do they change how we perceive the event? Do more higher-quality images of catastrophe make it seem more real or more movielike? Will we remember the 2011 Japan tsunami differently than its calamitous predecessors because we saw so much of it so quickly?
In the days that followed the earthquake, CNN producers constantly monitored social media sites to find newly posted material, and dozens of Japanese citizens sent footage directly to CNN, said Parisa Khosravi, senior vice president for CNN news-gathering worldwide.
"In this case, it certainly captured images that no one expected to see," she said. The story gave CNN its best ratings since President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, the Nielsen Co. said.
Viewers couldn't get enough — even those who were personally touched by it.
"I tried, but couldn't stop watching," said Maisararam from Banda Aceh, Indonesia, who lost her husband and three daughters in Indonesia's 2004 tsunami. "It was exactly the same, except they have this horrible footage, events unfolding right before your eyes."
One particularly arresting video showed water and debris rapidly rising as a group of people struggled to make it up a path to higher ground; CNN stopped rolling the shot — the fate of the crew unknown. In another instance, men who had raced to the top of a parking garage kept recording the tsunami even as one openly wondered whether he would survive or not.
The wealth of visual material stood in contrast to events at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex where six reactor units have had fires, explosions or partial meltdowns. As the water receded and attention turned to the crippled nuclear plant, the story became one of those events that television is poorly equipped to tell.
Images are elusive. Except for a handful of aerial shots, the drama at the plant has largely been seen in fuzzy video taken from many miles away. Occasionally, water is dumped on damaged nuclear reactors from the air, yet it's so difficult to see that it must be highlighted by editors in the pictures.
Evacuation zones have also led American TV networks to pull many of their teams out of the immediate area for safety reasons over radiation poisoning.
But no one knows what is really happening at the plant, or what will happen, and how much radiation is being exposed to how many people. That leads to less-than-illuminating reports, such as Lester Holt revealing on the "Today" show that his shoes tested positive for radiation.
Other than lost footwear, what did the incident really teach us?
Television frequently returned to old-fashioned and visually dull habits out of necessity, bringing a succession of experts before cameras to report the nuclear threat.
The uncertain aspects of the story quickly led to on-air debates over whether television was "hyping" the nuclear danger. NBC's "Nightly News" pointed a finger at the media in a report that minimized any danger to the United States. Fox News Channel's Shepard Smith labeled "sad and pathetic" Americans who bought anti-radiation pills in large numbers.
Yet his own network showed this headline Friday: "Growing Concern Over Radiation Plume Drifting Over Western United States."
But radiation is not a television event; it is, for the most part, something you cannot see — ambiguous, invisible, diffuse.
There was nothing ambiguous about the tsunami footage. In an era of unremitting visuals, it was imagery like none other — another example, in a time of technological change, of how we can watch the world unfold, even in its saddest, most frightening moments.
___
Associated Press correspondent Fakhrurradzie Gade in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
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