Official advisory against travelling to Japan

New Delhi: Amid the heightened concerns over radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, India on Thursday advised its nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Japan and even those living in capital Tokyo to ‘consider’ moving away.
“Indian nationals from Tokyo and areas closer to the exclusion zone declared by the Government of Japan may consider moving to safer areas as a precaution,” External Affairs Ministry said.
Reports from Japan earlier in the day said radiation levels in Tokyo - some 250 km away from the tsunami-battered nuclear plant and far from the ‘exclusion zone’ - had not reached dangerous levels.
But some countries - including Britain and Australia - had advised their nationals to consider moving farther away, apparently fearing that winds could carry leaked radiation to the city. The Indian Government too is now making the same suggestion.
No evacuation plans have been announced, but Air India is making more seats available for those who want to return home.
The airline normally runs seven flights a week from Japan, counting both Tokyo and Osaka. It will now fly an additional plane from Tokyo on Friday. And from Thursday to Sunday at least, all Air India flights will be Boeing 747-400, which has a capacity of 423 passengers - instead of the usual Boeing 777ERs on the route which carry 365.
Since the earthquake and the tsunami on Monday, Air India has brought back 900 Indians home.
18/03/11 Ashwani Talwar&K S Narayanan/ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Foreign Mar 2011