Efforts are being made to evacuate Britons from the quake and tsunami-hit region of north east Japan as concern mounts over a rise in radiation levels at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was “exploring all options” for transferring British people from the area to Tokyo as the confirmed toll of those killed in the disaster approached 3,500, although more than 10,000 are thought to have perished.
The FCO continues to advise against all non essential travel to Tokyo and north eastern Japan given the damage caused by Friday’s earthquake and resulting aftershocks and tsunami.
“We are actively monitoring the situation at nuclear facilities and urge British nationals to observe the advice being given by Japanese authorities, including the 20km exclusion zone around the Fukushima facility and to remain indoors, keep windows and doors closed and not use ventilation if you are between 20km and 30km from the facility,” the FCO said, adding that its advice was being kept under constant review.
The Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir John Beddington said yesterday that this was an entirely different situation from Chernobyl and “the exclusion zone of 20 kilometres… is entirely proportionate.”
He stressed that people should not go into the exclusion zone set up by the Japanese authorities. He went on to say that, apart from those living in the 20 km area around the reactor, there is no real human health issue that people should be concerned about.
Japan Airlines is laying on extra flights between Tokyo and Yamagata in the Tohoku region of north east Japan. An extra six flights are being operated today in addition to 32 flights announced yesterday.
JAL has also decided to operate a total of 28 extra daily flights between March 17-19 and 20 daily flights between March 17-26.