Japan : Nuke plant blasts raise radiation threat

Via ABC News :

" The Japanese government says radiation levels near a quake-stricken nuclear power plant are now harmful to human health, after a further two explosions and a fire at the facility.

"There is no doubt that unlike in the past, the figures are the level at which human health can be affected," said chief government spokesman Yukio Edano.

He says radiation levels at the nuclear plant have reached as high as 400 milisieverts an hour, thousands of times higher than readings taken before the latest blasts.

Earlier prime minister Naoto Kan warned the risk of more radioactive leakage was rising and urged people living within 30 kilometres of the plant to take safety precautions.

"Depending on what happens at the power plant we would like to ask you to remain indoors at your home or in your offices," he said.

"We would like to ask you to remain indoors and avoid going outside."

Kyodo says "minute levels" of radiation have also been detected in Tokyo, quoting the metropolitan government, and radiation levels in Saitama, near Tokyo, were 40 times normal levels, quoting the local government.

Radiation levels in Kanagawa prefecture, west of Tokyo, were also briefly up to nine times the normal level, Kyodo reported, quoting the prefecture government."