and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> japan appeals for international help. evacuation. some are treated for radiation exposure and the authorities ordered everyone out of the surrounding area. the grim search goes on.

tens of thousands missing, and fears of another tsunami. >> everyone was just running there. trying to get as far away as possible. >> welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you -- coming up, the u.n. security council discusses a no-fly zone over libya, but nothing is agreed. and conversation in bahrain. protesters set up roadblocks as 1000 at saudi troops entered the country. hello. millions in the parts of northeast japan hammered by last week's quake and tsunami have

spent their fourth night without food, water, electricity, or gas. at least 500,000 people have been left homeless, but even now, much is still unknown. communications are still down in many areas. about 2000 bodies have been found washed ashore. half of them in a town that was flattened by the water. as japan struggles to deal with an emergency, fears are growing about the safety of the fukushima daiichi power plant. we have this from the edge of the nuclear exclusion zone. >> inside the plant, workers are trying to avert a nuclear catastrophe. but today, a second explosion. this time at reactor no. 3. the blast was huge. there was believed to be a buildup of hydrogen.

just hours before, people living nearby were trying to leave by any means possible. this was just 3 miles from the site. those who ignored earlier warnings were desperate to get out. in towns for the runway, fears of further contamination. japan relies on nuclear for nearly one-third of its electricity. the trust and in the technology and power company faith has been shaken. >> i am very scared. if i got out affected by radiation would be a big risk of getting cancer. >> after being checked, people are being offered places in evacuation centers around the city. this place is about 40 miles from the nuclear power station. for some, that is not far

enough. they are leaving the beach and all together, going to other parts of japan. bbc news. >> let's localized it's a bit. 10,000 people, one sound alone, it is still unaccounted for. it was completely wiped out. the scale of what the quick and the tsunami did is just now becoming -- what the quake in the tsunami it is just now becoming known. we have this. >> it is calm now, but there are many clues along the coast line. this fisherman says, the ways and just kept coming and coming. the wall of water crashed into the bay. its impact was immediate and devastating. those he did not make it to high ground were swept away with the

whole town. the wave was more than three stories high. the railway line and bridge were tossed aside. cars crushed or dumped on top of buildings. boats were ruined far inland. the tsunami warning came, but there was just not enough time. japan is prepared for earthquakes. children are taught about tsunamis in school. but no one expected what happened here at 230 -- at 2:30 and in the afternoon on friday. a massive wall of water that's what everything down the valley as far as the eye can see. we met one couple picking through the debris. there karaoke bar once stood here. he says that he is searching for his father and his mother. [unintelligible]

"i want to find them. i want to find them." it has taken days for the roads along the coast to be cleared of debris. some are drifting back to see what they can salvage. at least this house is still standing, this man says. others were also recovering what they could. as we filmed, suddenly there was panic as word spread of another tsunami. we are going up the hill. there is news that the tsunami is coming. everyone is just running there, trying to get as far away as possible. it did not come some other regular aftershocks did not help people's nerves. it is impossible to know how many people are buried here

among the tons of mud, would, and twisted metal. it is being called japan's worst tragedy since the second world war, a destructive force of nature. bbc news, but japan. >> the emergency in japan has aroused concern about nuclear safety standards around world. switzerland has suspended plans to build new power stations until it has carried out a thorough safety review. and in germany, chancellor angela merkel says that safety standards will be reviewed. he says it is the only way for china to hold on to the achievements made during the last 30 years. he will not -- he ruled out comparisons between china and the arab world. an area loyal to laurent gbagbo -- who has been refusing to step

down -- tension has risen since the african union confirmed his rival as president last week. the united states has urged haiti's former president to delight -- to delay his return home until after the runoff election later this week. a spokesman said it was up to port-au-prince to decide whether to let its former leader returned. the french company renault has apologized to three businessmen who were accused of corporate espionage. troops from arab gulf states, including hundreds from saudi arabia, moved into bahrain to help the government contain protest democracy demonstrations. -leds the only shi'a

movement and has called the arrival of foreign troops as a declaration of war. >> it is across with it joins the two nations across the gulf. it marks a new stage and in the wave of protests that have rocked the arab world. sunday saw the worst violence in the bahrain capitol since the protests began. police were overwhelmed and protestors strengthened their hold on the central roundabout. >> we are calling on the saudis, the other members of the gcg countries, as well as the rain, to -- as well as bahrain, to show restraint. we believe the way to address the unrest has occurred in the nation. >> saudi arabia was trying to intervene as a member of the six-member council.

there were fears that the unrest might spread to saudi arabia. the troops might break the protest. the leader of the main opposition group says the army would only be welcome if they were against the foreign invader. >> we say to our brothers and in the gulf, your army is welcome when our country faces danger from outside, but we will consider it occupation when you come to oppress the people. >> the 100,000 saudi troops looked relaxed, but their exact role in camp -- crowd control is unclear. troops from one country had gone to assist in the affairs of another. bbc news. >> in libya, opposition forces are saying they have stemmed recent advances by troops loyal to colonel gaddafi in the town of brega. government soldiers are advancing eastward. we have this from benghazi.

>> the front line is confused, but certainly colonel gaddafi's forces seem to be pushing to the main rebel-held towns. next to the rebel-held town of brega, a much bigger challenge. in benghazi, the opposition finally unveiled their top military commander, colonel gaddafi's former interior minister. he admitted the war had entered a crucial phase. >> we feel the enemy will have serious logistical problems and supplying the troops. >> but what about benghazi itself? surely colonel gaddafi does not have enough troops to attack the city of 1 million people? and what would he use as an air power against the civilian population here?

many of the fighters were injured in attacks by colonel gaddafi's warplanes. this man was wounded friday in an air strike, in an area since recaptured from the government and 100 miles from the foul line. this man lost a hand after he was caught in an air strike. the surgeons treating him had one single message -- >> i want a no-fly zone. it will decrease the number of people injured or killed. >> listed the casualty's we are seeing our fighters. many have been cut up and air attacks. as the fighting gets closer to benghazi, there is the potential for many more civilian casualties, particularly of colonel gaddafi's aircraft can operate unchecked. everyone is watching to see it the west engages actively suit

curb colonel gaddafi's forces. bbc news, benghazi, libya. >> good to have you with us. still to come -- how does a community cope with almost complete obliteration? first though, our correspondent has been hit you the -- has been to the port of sendai, near the epicenter. >> this is the first full working day since the tsunami hit last friday and it has caused a surge in rescue operations on a massive scale. there are still thousands of people unaccounted for. the official death toll overall is a result of what happened, around 1500 people. that is expected to rise quite sharply in the next days and

weeks. as rescue teams manage to get out to those outer lining, remote coastal areas they still have not been able to get to. about 100,000 army personnel, along with 250,000 police and other rescuers are part of the relief effort. it is on a huge scale, as i say, and the prime minister has suggested the problems of this country are as bad as was the case back in 1945. the situation has not been worse since the second world war. after that of course, the fear of the population of the radiation leak as a result of the problems with the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. they are actually leaving sendai city. they are heading south towards tokyo. others are trying to get ahold

of maxxam the -- magnesium iodine tablets. there's still a lot of fear and nervousness every time the ground trembles, there are aftershocks, there are tsunami warnings. this is very much a nation trying to come to terms with the colossal loss of the last few days. but the main headlines this hour on "bbc world news." japan is appealing for international help as technicians struggled to cool -- to " overheating in the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. they warned a meltdown as possible. work is being hampered by aftershocks and fears of a second tsunami. the desperate efforts to control the situation of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have raised a serious question about a major radiation leak and the

risks to anyone nearby. we have david shukman on the dangers. >> and near the nuclear power station today, as seen most people would dread. a test for radioactive contamination. the key question is whether the risks are escalating the power station took a real pounding. this picture was taken before the disaster. here is just after. the dark stains of mud and debris from the tsunami, which also knocked out the back of power. questions have been raised about several nuclear power stations, but especially fukushima daiichi and because. what is meant to happen inside a nuclear power station is this. inside the reactor, the nuclear fuel heats up. that is the process of vision. the atom splitting, releasing

energy. water flows around the keel. it is heated up and turns to steam. -- water flows around the fuel. the if the reactor runs dry, as one did today, the fuel rods overheat and melts. the nuclear fuel and then sink to the bottom of the reactor, the beginning of what is called meltdown. provided the container remains intact, there should not be a leak. no one can get close enough to check exactly what is happening. what about the worst-case scenario that nuclear fuel does burn its way out that we asked the british government's chief scientist. >> in that situation, you will get an explosion and radioactive material would be in it. it would be committed up to 500 meters. it would be of relatively short

duration, about an hour or so. compare that to chernobyl where the top blew off the reactor. >> the design of the reactor in japan, we are told makes a repeat of chernobyl highly unlikely. but how far could radiation spread that the key is the weather. luckily, the forecast shows the winds are due to blow over the sight and out tuesday. tonight an emergency briefing. japan is appealing for emergency help, a sign that getting things under control is tougher than expected. david shukman, bbc news. >> the death toll is expected to rise well above 10,000. yet already seen the city of sendai is one of the worst affected. >> the road to yuriyaki.

it is a journey to a place that is no longer there. once of lizard fishing port, now on. -- a pleasant fishing port. there is little for emergency teams defined except for -- people used to come here to rent bicycles and cycle along the seaside. at 2:46, it was wiped from the map. >> the tsunami has struck the area. >> the tsunami sweat onion in your -- swept in here. houses were torn to pieces by the power of the waves. >> it is hard to believe, but seven. by -- it is hard to believe the

over 7000 people used to live here. this is the porch. the foundation is all that remains. all homes have been obliterated. what is left? here is a book, a doll, a lamp, a coffee maker. that is it. >> this is monody few houses not turned to matchsticks. it is a desolate, and the place, drained of all its life. memories linger everywhere. memories that suzuki hopes are not lost forever. he says that this used to be for a kindergarten. the army wanted to burn it. this is going to be very precious. nobody knows how many have lost

their lives here. and days by, we found katsuhiro watanabe, looking for his father and grandfather. his mother had gone shopping. four generations, the watanabes lived here. it is hard to believe it now. it is a nightmare, and i wanted to be a dream, says katsuhiro. this is where i was born, and my dad and his dad. generation after generation. >> the water did not reached this far. we found these language students who had just led to higher ground after new tsunami warnings. today, alice's family back in london found her for the first

time to learn she is saved. >> even al my situation has not changed that much, just that i know i am not alone and i can contact people back home. it is a much more reassuring. >> alice and the students are still stranded because of this disaster has brought much of japan to a standstill. it seems impossible that life can ever return. bbc news, japan. >> of course, japan has been prepared for a massive earthquake four years, but the sheer scale of this one and the enormity of the tsunami has put intense pressure on medical evacuation teams. our correspondent has been assessing the impact. >> look at this. now look again. remind yourself that this is japan.

when nature unleashes all its power, even the mightiest nations are brought low. so prone is japan to earthquakes that under its ever-ready emergency plans, this primary school was always earmarked as a refuge. the exercise of drills have paid off. the teachers doubled as aid workers. >> there are 2000 people, maybe more. we will keep going as long as our supplies holdup. >> there is no power or water at home. she does not know how long she will be here. >> i am very worried for the children. i want to get them home as quickly as possible. >> around the city, food is running out. supermarkets -- at the supermarket, the shelves are almost empty.

>> we are a few miles away from the worst of the damage. these people are affected all the same. they have to line up for items that just a few days ago they took for granted. >> this woman tells me this is the only shop that has got anything. the queue stretches for hundreds of meters. patients and order, the japanese way even in crisis. the suguwara family have come to help their grandmother. if for 55 years, she has lived here. not even a tsunami is going to drive her out. the great wave has gone now. its legacy is not just the damage, but a reminder of how flimsy our sophisticated modern

world really is. >> that from the area around sendai. let's just roundup as best we can the story from japan for you. millions have spent a fourth night without water, electricity, food, or gas. news agency has reported 400,000 people have been left homeless and they are doing what they can with the very little they have left. much is still unknown. communications are still down in many areas. about 2000 bodies were found walked ashore on monday, half of them in a town that was flattened by giant waves. tens of thousands of people are unaccounted for. of course, the pictures you're seeing right now -- as japan struggles to deal with one emergency, fears about the fukushima power plant in the northeast. a nuclear meltdown cannot be

ruled out. in libya, opposition forces say they have stemmed recent advances by troops loyal to colonel gaddafi at the oil town of brega. but there have been strikes in other territories. interest from the arab gulf states, including hundreds from saudi arabia, have moved into bahrain to contain production democracy demonstrations there -- pro-democracy demonstrations there. you get much more on all the international news on bbc.com. we are on twitter and facebook as well. thank you for watching. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu.

newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.