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March 25, 2011. Investigation launched into radiation leak in Japan; recommended evacuation zone expanded; death toll passes 10,000

SOURCE: Altegrity Risk International

The Japanese government said on March 25th that an investigation was underway to determine the source of a radiation leak at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture that left two workers hospitalized, local media said. The dangerously high radiation levels detected in water at reactor no 3 - 10,000 times higher than normal - led officials to fear a core could be damaged. Officials also claimed that the workers did not wear the correct protective boots and ignored a radiation alarm at the plant.

On March 25th, the Japanese government asked people living within 20 to 30km (12 to 18 miles) of the nuclear plant to leave voluntarily. Residents of this area had previously been advised to remain indoors.The Japanese chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, said that the government might issue an evacuation order for the area if radiation levels increased further.

In related news, the official death toll from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami passed 10,000 on March 25th with more than 17,440 people listed as missing. An estimated 250,000 people remained in emergency shelters, where food, water, and fuel are in short supply. The Japanese government estimated rebuilding costs at US$309 billion.

Meanwhile, two Japanese tourists who arrived in China's Wuxi on a flight from Tokyo on March 23rd were found to have radiation levels that "seriously exceeded" the levels considered safe, reports indicated on March 25th. The pair reportedly received treatment in China. The Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine said the two men were not from areas close to the nuclear power plant damaged by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. Officials launched an investigation to determine how they came to be irradiated.

In response to reports of higher than normal radiation levels in Tokyo's tap water and fears of spreading radiation, a shipping company said on March 25th it would temporarily avoid sailing into Yokohama Port in Tokyo Bay.