Japan earthquake and tsunami update

30 March 2011

Recommendations for those living or working in the affected areas.

Japan earthquake and tsunami update 3 (30/03/2011)

The current death toll from the earthquake and tsunami currently stands at 11,417 with more than 16,273 people still missing. More than 190,000 people are living in shelters. An estimated 20,000 American troops are assisting Japan’s own Self-Defence Forces in delivering aid to the communities hardest hit by the disaster.

A further earthquake struck Japan, but no injuries or damage have been reported at the time of writing. The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale and struck at 07.23 local time on Monday 28th March, 67 miles east of Sendai, the port city that was badly damaged on March 11th. A tsunami warning was launched but this was lifted soon afterwards.

Radiation concerns

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility was badly damaged in the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan’s north eastern coast on March 11th. Harmful levels of radiation have leaked from the plant since the earthquake and tsunami struck and workers at the nuclear facility are trying to minimise radiation leaks.

The 6 reactors at the nuclear plant have been damaged to some degree. Reactors 5 and 6 were shut down prior to the earthquake. The Japanese government has announced that radiation measurements taken from water inside reactor No 2 is consistent with the effects of a partial meltdown of the fuel rods within the reactor. The contaminated water is currently being removed from the reactor to ensure that it doesn’t flow into the sea or seep into the ground. The United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency has stated that the nuclear crisis at Fukushima may continue for a number of months.

An exclusion zone of 20km still surrounds the Fukushima plant. People who are located between 20km and 30km from the plant are advised to remain indoors. The US and UK governments have recommended an exclusion zone of 80km around Fukushima

The Scientific Advisory Group in Emergencies (SAGE), chaired by the Chief Scientific Adviser, has advised that that the risks to human health beyond the exclusion zone set up by the Japanese authorities (20km) could be managed by precautionary measures, in particular staying indoors to avoid exposure. This advice is being kept under constant review.

The British Embassy in Japan is distributing stable iodine (potassium iodide) tablets to British nationals and their dependants as a contingency measure. These tablets help to prevent the body from absorbing radioactive iodine that has been inhaled or ingested into the body. Scientific advice states that there is no need to take the tablets in the current situation.

British nationals in Japan will be provided with two doses of stable iodine by the British Embassy with detailed instructions on dosage. One dose last 24 hours and the dose is the same no matter how much radioactive iodine is present in the environment.

The tablets should only be taken as follows:

The UK government advises you to do so OR
The Japanese authorities advise people to do so

Food and water supplies

The UK’s Health Protection Agency recommends that British nationals in Japan should follow the Japanese government's advice on drinking water and seek local advice where appropriate. Levels of radioactivity in Tokyo’s drinking water have now fallen to safe levels for all age groups, including babies. For more information, please refer to the Health Protection Agency.

The presence of radioactivity has been found in some foods. If you are in the exclusion zone in north-east Japan, you should follow the Japanese government’s advice on food and water and you should also follow these additional measures:

Avoid fruit and vegetables that have been outdoors in affected areas, including those from market stores.
Avoid fish, shellfish and milk products.
Food stored inside the home since sheltering was advised, as well packaged foods such as tinned produce, are safe.

Travel advice

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is advising against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and north-eastern Japan. Due to the evolving situation at the Fukushima nuclear facility and potential disruptions to the supply of goods, transport, communications, power and other infrastructure, British nationals currently in Tokyo and to the north of Tokyo should consider leaving the area and should not stay within 80km (50 miles) of the power plant.

British Nationals and friends and relatives of those in Japan can contact the Foreign Office on +44(0)20 7008 0000. You can also e-mail them at [email protected] or skype (text not call) on "fcojapan". The British Embassy in Japan has established a Consular Response Centre in Sendai. This is located at the ANA Holiday Inn, located at 1-4-1 Shintera Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, 984-0051 Japan. The hotel's telephone number is +81 19 604 2155, if calling from the UK or 019 604 2155 if calling from within Japan (please ask for room 219).

The organisations listed below have produced advice on the risk of radiation to human health:

World Health Organisation – Japan nuclear concerns
Health Protection Agency (UK) – response to events at Japanese nuclear power plant

Further recommendations for those living or working in the affected areas

Pay particular attention to personal health and hygiene. Damage to sewers, a shortage of clean drinking water and poor sanitary conditions will increase the risk of you succumbing to diarrhoea and dysentery
There is a risk of leptospirosis in these flood-affected areas.
Medical facilities may be non-existent and even basic medical supplies may not be available. Carry extra supplies of personal medication and a first aid kit.
Ensure you are up-to-date with your tetanus and Hepatitis B immunisations. Sustaining cuts, scratches and open wounds are a very real risk in the areas affected.
Follow local specialist advice in any risk situation, or otherwise carry out your own risk assessment. Many structures will be severely weakened and may collapse in an aftershock. Watch out for loose electricity cables.
If you are trying to locate someone who might have been caught up in the earthquake you can log on to Google’s Person Finder 2011 Japan Earthquake service. The website acts as a directory and message board so people can look for lost loved ones or post a note saying they are safe.
Several mobile phone operators in Japan have provided a service to check the safety of friends and family who have reported in using their mobile numbers. The service is available in English and Japanese.
Follow the advice of the local authorities and keep away from the coast and the exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. In addition, the British and American governments are urging their citizens to remain outside an 80km radius of the power plant.
Keep in regular contact with your employer, family and national Embassy.

For further information please click on the links below:

Japan earthquake and tsunami update 2 (18/03/2011) – news update on THAC (Travel Health Advice Centre)
Japan earthquake and tsunami update 1 (14/03/2011) – news update on THAC
World Health Organisation – Japan nuclear concerns
Health Protection Agency (UK) – response to events at Japanese nuclear power plant
Earthquakes: how to survive them
Japan country profile on THAC
Google’s Person Finder 2011 Japan Earthquake
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Updated travel advice and alerts from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
BBC News online – Japan Earthquake
NHK World English – English Language Japanese News
Kyodo News – English Language Japanese News
The Japan Times
Tokyo International Communication Committee – a Q & A Manual for helping Foreign Residents in Disasters (available in English as well as other languages)
Twitter Japan – in Japanese but with English translation provided. It has a special section that gathers the latest earthquake information.

This is a fast-changing situation so please keep checking the links above for updates and to help you keep abreast of the situation. We will be providing further updates as necessary.

Sources: BBC News online, Reuters AlertNet, World Health Organisation (WHO), ReliefWeb