LOC12:38
09:38 GMT
LONDON, March 18 (KUNA) -- The UK Foreign Office (FO) was beginning
evacuating Britons from disaster-struck Japan this evening as efforts continue
to bring its nuclear emergency under control, it was announced Friday.
Smoke billowed from the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi today as crews worked
to reconnect electricity to cooling systems and spray more water on
overheating nuclear fuel.
Four of the plant's six reactors have been rocked by explosions and fires
since last Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami, and there are
concerns that water is dangerously low in pools used to cool rods.
Yukiya Amano, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, said:
"We see it as an extremely serious accident.
"This is not something that just Japan should deal with, and people of the
entire world should cooperate with Japan and the people in the disaster areas.
"
As queues grew at check-in desks in Tokyo airport terminals, the FO said it
had arranged a number of options for British nationals unable to book seats on
commercial flights.
These include charter flights to Hong Kong, as well as seats on commercial
planes the Government has block-booked.
The offer of help came after Britons were advised to consider leaving Tokyo
amid desperate attempts by the Japanese to prevent meltdown at the nuclear
plant.
Foreign governments were also scrambling to fly their citizens out.
A French government plane left Tokyo for Seoul in South Korea with 241
people on board, with another flight planned for French citizens wishing to
leave Japan.
Meanwhile, the UK Government's search and rescue team deployed to the
country following the disaster called off its mission yesterday and made plans
to leave after finding no survivors in the wreckage.
As foreign governments advised their citizens to leave the stricken region,
Tokyo's Narita International Airport heaved with would-be passengers waiting
anxiously for flights.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said their flights out of Tokyo were
very busy but Virgin said planes were not completely full. (end)
he.rk
KUNA 181238 Mar 11NNNN