Japan starts huge relief mission; emergency at 5 N-reactors

The Daiichi and Daini power plants operated by Tokyo Electric Power experienced critical failures of the backup generators needed to power cooling systems after the plants shut down automatically following the quake.

Some reports said that about 45,000 people were affected by the evacuation order at the Daiichi plant.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said that there was not any immediate threat to people' s health.

"We are taking every possible measure" to prevent disastrous developments, he said, while urging caution in the wake of strong aftershocks that jolted the country this morning.

Several strong aftershocks, one with a magnitude of 6.7 and another of 6.8, rocked eastern coast of Japan, hitting areas like Nagano and Niigata prefectures.

In Iwate Prefecture, the coastal city of Rikuzentakata was almost destroyed by a giant tsunami wave, local police said. Around 200 to 300 bodies were found in Sendai's Wakabayashi Ward, they said. Some 1,800 houses in Fukushima Prefecture were found to have been destroyed.

As rescuers have not been able to completely access the tsunami-hit areas with tsunami warnings still in effect, the overall picture of the destruction remained unclear. A municipal official of the town of Futaba, Fukushima, said, "More than 90% of the houses in three coastal communities have been washed away by tsunami. Looking from the fourth floor of the town hall, I see no houses standing."

In the quake-hit areas, around 5.57 million households had lost power, while 600,000 had their water supply cut off. Nine expressways were closed and at least 312 domestic flights cancelled. The Tokyo police said more than 120,000 people in the capital were unable to return home last evening due to the suspension of train operations and traffic jams.

Rescue teams from South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and other countries were set to arrive in Japan, after 50 nations offered support following the powerful earthquake, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
In Washington US President Barack Obama called Japanese Prime Minister Kan to offer help.

"(First Lady) Michelle (Obama) and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis," Obama said in a statement.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her condolences in telephone talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto this morning and stressed that the US was ready to offer whatever assistance was needed, Kyodo reported.

Premier Kan left Tokyo early this morning by helicopter for northeastern Japan to inspect the quake-hit areas.