Gov'ts advise citizens to leave quake-affected areas

Tokyo, Japan (AP):

Australia and Germany advised their citizens in Japan yesterday to consider leaving Tokyo and earthquake-affected areas, joining a growing number of governments and businesses telling their people it may be safer elsewhere.

The advisories came as the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in the northeast deepened in the wake of last week's earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Surging radiation forced Japan to order workers to temporarily withdraw from the plant yesterday, a setback to efforts to cool its overheating reactors.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, however, said its advice to Australians had nothing to do with the threat of nuclear contamination from the damaged plant.

Tokyo, which is about 170 miles (270 kilometres) from the stricken nuclear complex, reported slightly elevated radiation levels on Tuesday. Officials said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital, but some countries have relocated their embassies or suggested their citizens leave the area.