Latest News

Japan forges ahead with quake-relief efforts

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-16 15:37

TOKYO - Japan and the international community are continuing their quake-relief efforts in the disaster zone as a fresh fire broke out at a nuclear plant reactor and many Japanese are suffering from lack of food, water and medicine.

Residents line up to buy necessities at a supermarket in downtown Sendai, northeastern Japan March 16, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

The National Police Agency said Friday's 9.0-magnitude catastrophic quake in northeastern Japan and the ensuing tsunami had left 3,373 people dead and 6,746 others unaccounted for by 8:00 pm (1100 GMT) Tuesday.

Around 530,000 evacuees are now living in more than 2,600 shelters in quake-hit areas.

The lack of food, drinking water, medicine and fuel has been a common problem in the areas, where basic supplies have been wiped out and communications infrastructure crippled.

The Japanese government is stepping up efforts to ship disaster relief supplies there.

The Bank of Japan Wednesday pumped another 3.5 trillion yen (US$ 43.3 billion) into the financial system, adding to the trillions spent Monday and Tuesday to soothe shaken markets.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out again early Wednesday at the troubled No. 4 reactor of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Around 5:45 am local time (2045 GMT), a new fire occurred in the northeastern corner of the reactor 4 building, where an apparent hydrogen explosion caused a fire Tuesday morning. Fire fighters were trying to put out the flames.

Since Friday, there have been explosions at several of the plant's reactor buildings.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday that radiation levels around the plant had "risen considerably," and his chief spokesman said they had reached the point that would endanger human health.

A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team has arrived in Japan to help assess humanitarian needs there, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is continuing to monitor the situation at impacted nuclear plants.

"The team is based in Tokyo, helping with information management and with international offers of assistance to the Japanese government," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Tuesday. "It plans to send a reconnaissance mission to the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi on Wednesday."

He also said Japan has asked the IAEA to send a technical support team to quake-hit nuclear plants, adding the IAEA is coordinating international support on the nuclear response to Japan through the Response Assistance Network.

The US military said Tuesday that low-level radiation was detected at US Navy bases in Japan, and more service members were found exposed to radioactive plumes.