Japan starts evacuation outside 20 km radius of troubled Fukushima nuke plant

Forum Contacts RSS		RUSSIAN

RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED May 16, 2011

The Japanese authorities have started evacuation of people who live outside the 20 kilometer radius from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, NHK TV channel reported on Sunday.

Families with babies and children up to kindergarten age and pregnant women are the first of the 7,700 residents of two towns to evacuate, the TV channel said.

Municipal officials have said they have secured temporary housing for almost all of the residents who want it.

Some farmers cannot evacuate soon as they have not been able to find places to move their cattle. Some families cannot move together to designated temporary housing or cannot decide on the place to go as they would be far from work or school, the TV channel said.

The Japanese government has expanded the evacuation zone around the plant to areas where cumulative radiation levels are 20 millisieverts or higher per year, the TV channel said.

An earthquake and a tsunami that swept northeastern Japan two months ago damaged the cooling system at Fukushima, which resulted in serious meltdown. In mid-April, Japan's nuclear authorities assigned the highest level of danger to the Fukushima nuclear disaster for the first time after the devastating Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Soviet Union in 1986.

Topics: NPP Fukushima Daiichi

Other news:

Russia ready to finance Egypt first nuclear plant

Russia confirmed its participation in a tender to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant and said it was willing to help finance the project.

ARMZ acquires Australian uranium producer in $1.2 bln deal

ARMZ will pay eight Australian dollars per share, which represents a 15.5 percent premium on the average market price for 20 trading days.

Russia to start building Turkish NPP in 2013

Russia will start building Turkey's first NPP estimated at $20 billion in 2013, Russian ambassador to Ankara Vladimir Ivanovsky said.

Hero of the day

Alexander Chistozvonov: end of the Romantic period

Today, the army of managers is earnestly believing that one can take the man responsible for the licensing of alcoholic beverages, and put it on licensing, and even to supervise the nuclear reactor.

INTERVIEW

Christophe Behar
We are preparing now a review of these design options and the decision has to be made in 2012, by the public authorities. ASTRID basic and detailed design will be launched afterwards.

OPINION

Vladimir Rychin
AREVA will return the foreign workers to the uranium deposits in Niger, which have been evacuated after the September seizure of seven hostages.