UN: nuclear reactor crisis in Japan 'very serious'

[News_Editor]

UN: nuclear reactor crisis in Japan 'very serious'

2011-03-17 09:11:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations' (UN) on Wednesday announced that its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief will fly out to Japan, calling the nuclear reactor crisis in Japan “very serious.â€

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, who said he would like to receive better information from the Japanese, said he would spend one night in the country and then report back to the IAEA Board of Governors.

Confirming damage to three cores, which remain partially uncovered by cooling waters, Amano said the situation is "very serious."

"I will fly to Japan as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow, to get the latest information from them and learn from our Japanese counterparts how best the IAEA can help them," Amano said during a press conference in Vienna.

Amano is also sending two teams of experts to Japan, one on nuclear safety, the other on radiation protection, in response to the nuclear crisis that resulted from power being cut to the reactors’ cooling systems at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant when a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the country last Friday.

"We do not know the exact situation inside the reactor vessels, but the pressure inside remains above atmospheric pressure; this suggests that they remain largely intact," he said, noting that increased temperatures have also been observed at spent fuel ponds and the radiation dose rates in Tokyo and other cities have increased "very slightly" to levels that he stressed are not dangerous to humans' health.

Also on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan to again extend his sympathy at the catastrophic impact of the quake and tsunami, which may have claimed well in excess of 10,000 lives, according to media reports, and cut a vast swathe of total devastation along the north-eastern coast of Honshu, the largest island.

Ban also remains very concerned regarding the nuclear crisis while appreciating the Government of Japan’s efforts to contain the risk to the population, his spokesperson said, as the UN stands ready to provide any additional support if requested.

Meanwhile the UN World Food Program has been asked to assist in relief efforts, providing specialized logistics support in delivering water, tents, and blankets to families who have spent many nights already in freezing temperatures without heating and other necessities.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-17