Japan downgrades assessment of economy
Japan yesterday raised the severity level of crisis at the crippled Fukushima plant to a maximum seven, bringing it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
April 13, 2011 / 22:20 IST
Japan yesterday raised the severity level of crisis at the crippled Fukushima plant to a maximum seven, bringing it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Nishiyama today said a seawater sample taken on Monday 15 km away from the city of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, showed a radioactive iodine-131 concentration of about 23 times the maximum level permitted under law, but added that it does not pose any health risks.According to Japan''s Science Ministry, small amounts of radioactive strontium have been detected in soil and plants outside the 30-km zone around the Fukushima plant where the government has advised people to stay indoors. Strontium tends to accumulate in bones could cause cancer.The ministry has been monitoring the level of radioactive substances in soil and weeds in Fukushima Prefecture, national broadcaster NHK reported.It found 3.3 to 32 becquerels of strontium 90 per kg of soil in samples taken from three locations in Namie Town and Iitate Village, 30 km from the plant.
An extremely small amount of strontium was also found in plants taken from Motomiya City, Ono Town and Otama and Nishigo Villages. The areas are 40 to 80 km from the Fukushima plant.The ministry says the amount found is extremely low and will not have a negative health impact even if a person ingests one kg of the contaminated soil.The samples were taken between March 16 and 19.Japan''s Sendai Airport, which was submerged by massive tsunami following last month''s quake, partially resumed domestic flight operations today, with a Japan Airlines flight arriving from Tokyo''s Haneda airport at 8 am local time.The airport opening is expected to make it easier for volunteers and others from Tokyo and its vicinity, as well as western Japan, to visit the disaster-hit areas and accelerate relief activities there.Meanwhile, more than 100 evacuation sites designated by local governments were swept away or inundated by the tsunami triggered by the March 11 quake just off the coast of northeastern Japan, according to Kyodo News.Many people are thought to have lost their lives after fleeing to those sites believing they would be safe, but no data have so far been collected on the actual toll in those places.According to the National Police Agency, the death of 13,333 people has so far been confirmed in last month''s twin disaster. Most of the deaths occurred in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, the three hardest hit prefectures. Miyagi topped the list at 8,161, followed by Iwate at 3,838 and Fukushima at 1,271.About 84%, or 11,156, of the recovered bodies have been identified.
The agency also listed 15,150 people as unaccounted for, based on reports mostly from family members.Today, police announced for the first time that 776 are missing in Higashimatsushima in Miyagi. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
