China’s national airline Air China has terminated its flights to Tokyo, temporarily due to the fear of radiation. Though it’s not the only airline to do so.
The 8.8 magnitude earth quake in Japan followed by 10 meters high tsunami in Northern Japan, posed Nuclear leak danger after certain parts of the reactor caught fire. The radiation initially declared ‘controllable’ and only as harmful as X-rays, is now being considered more dangerous for life of all kinds in the affected areas. Many countries have stopped operating flights to Tokyo in order to prevent any possible harmful effect of radiation that can be circling up above the Japanese sky as well as on the ground.
Around 12 miles area near the site of the Nuclear reactor has been evacuated earlier this week and the Government as well as Scientist community is constantly updating masses on the situation and ensuring that necessary security measures are taken. People within 18 miles of the reactor site are instructed to stay indoors and scientists in protective suits are screenings families for contamination checks.
Until yesterday, the small group of Nuclear Plant engineers in Japan has been risking their lives by staying at the reactor and attempting to shut it down or slow it down with use of sea water. The radiation levels said to reach as high as 400 millisieverts (20 times that of annual x-ray radiation permitted) are a threatening condition for the men still at the reactor and attempting to control its radiation leak.
Here it is worth mentioning that shutting down these plants will cut off most of Japan’s electric supply for a long time. Using sea water is the last resort in worst case scenario and will permanently destabilize the reactor making it unusable.
In this situation, NGO, Embassy staff, foreigners, tourists and a majority is leaving the city fearing high magnitude radiation and strong aftershocks. Some scientists have predicted that there can be up to 7 magnitude aftershocks following the massive earth quake that shook the country last week.
The Australian airline Qantas has also stopped flights to Japan and added a stopover in Hong Kong earlier on today to its six flights following earthquake and nuclear power plant emergency. Situation is Japan is worsened by the devastation of infrastructure and lack of transportation system. The fuel shortage is also raising concern.
The latest Travel Advice for Japan by Foreign and Common Wealth Office (fco) released today March 16 2011 states:
“We advise against all but essential travel to north eastern Japan and Tokyo”.
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