japan has announced new orders on food produced in fukushima prefecture where the troubled nuclear power plant is located. naoto kan said not to consume some vegetables in fukushima. radiation were detected high in some samples. the government is instructing the public not to consume spinach, cabbage, broccoli and some other vegetables produced in fukushima for the time being. readings were given for leaf vegetables produced in the prefecture. the health ministry says radioactive siusium was detected. i ordered a halt to shipments of radish produced in fukushima as well as raw milk and parsley in the neighboring prefecture ibaraki. this follows measures suspending shipment of vegetables . here to tell us more about the latest instructions on vegetables and the possible affects on the human body is hideki. >> the prime minister announced he's suspending the shipment and intake of vegetables s suspected to be contaminated with radiation. what is your reaction? >> vegetables are not contaminated have been found one after another. if people are consuming them as they are possible health haza

the massive earthquake has also damaged two nuclear power plants in fukushima prefecture. air has been released from the plants to ease the mounting pressure, but high levels of radioactivity have forced the fukushima number one plant to suspend the release. radiation at the fukushima number one plant rose tie level 1,000 times higher than unusual the central control room at one point. the rising pressure poses a threat to the containment vessel. japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency says the operation to release air from the react boers gan before 9:00 a.m. local time on saturday. the valves to release the air have to be operated by hand but the radioactivity at one valve was too high to ensure the safety of workers. the agency is now considering other options, including rotating the workers frequently to limit their exposure and operating the valve by remote control. the agency says the release air -- the released air poses no risk to people outside the ten-kilometer evacuation zone. university of tokyo professor says filters will remove radioactive substances bef

fukushima prefecture has confirmed 583 deaths and more than 3800 missing. more than 285,000 people are in nearly 2002 shelters in the affected prefectures. many of the shelters are short of food, water and other essential supplies. relief efforts are being hampered of fuel for truck and ambulances. severe cold weather continues to avblgt those areas on friday with temperatures falling below zero degrees celsius. according to authorities, at least 25 people have died in shelters. they include 21 hospital patients in fukushima prefecture. they died after evacuating to emergency shelters, and many of the patients were elderly. some were bedridden. >>> nhk world reports from minami sanriku, one of the hardest-hit areas. >> reporter: the skies clear on this friday morning here in minami sanriku. it's a break after two days of snowy weather. yesterday, japan's self-defense forces made the first delivery of daily necessities for people who are taking shelters here. they received 500 blankets they desperately need because there is almost no heating inside, even at n

you are looking at the map of fukushima prefecture where the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant is situated. a quick wrapup of what has been happening since saturday night. 28,000 people have evacuated their homes to other areas to avoid possible radiation from the fukushima daiichi i nuclear power plant. as of wednesday, 31,000 fukushima prefecture had accepted 28,152 evacuees in addition to those who had taken shelter in those move municipalities by saturday night. many temporary shelters in the prefecture were too crowded to accept the newcomers. at a shelter about 100 kilometer from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant, 295 evacuees joined the 38 people who went there straight after the quake. some of the newcomers say they have to go there because the first shelter they went to was overcrowd. they say some have not received any radioactive screening tests. there are a number of people trying to evacuate to other prefectures is on the rise. they have 17 hotels for evacuees from fukushima to stay at. 26700 people have already taken shelter in narita. >> my home is 21 kilome

in the three worst hit prefectures, miyagi, iwate and fukushima, which bore the brunt of the tsunami there are more than 1400 shelters, housing 180,000 people. there is growing concern for the health of people in these areas. meanwhile three aftershocks with intensities of 5.0 plus on the japanese scale of seven rocked fukushima prefecture wednesday. the meteorological agency says aftershocks with intensities of 4.0 or more have been registered more than 70 times since the march 11th quake. the agency warns the more aftershocks of up to 6.0 plus are possible. >>> video footage of a tsunami taken from a helicopter over miyagi prefecture shows a series of huge waves surging toward the shore. the footage was taken about half an hour after the quake on march 11th. the helicopter flew from north to south along the pacific coast, covering the region from sendai city, miyagi prefecture to iwaki city, fukushima prefecture. it shows a wall of water uprooting trees before engulfing houses and paddy fields and swallowing up huge quantities of sand. the footage also shows footage fleeing to the

of the crisis in sight, residents who live near the nuclear power plant are either leaving fukushima prefecture or evacuating to fukushima city. the disaster response headquarter is busy looking after the crowds of people evacuating toward the city center. the evacuees are asking authorities to examine adverse health effects from radiation. what do you prioritize, this official says they're going from one evacuation center to another and listening to the needs of the people. experts in radiation has been gathered from all over japan. they are doing the rounds of the evacuation shelter. experts say he has come from kushu. on this day the experts visited a setup and the high cool in fukushima city. every day new evacuees are arriving here. the examination for radiation per person takes one minute. special equipment is used to measure the amount of radiation adhering to the surface of the person's body. the doctor tells this child there is no problem with his health. if there are no problems in order to make the residents feel secure a card is issued telling them they are free of radiation. on thi

>> for example, first of all, the one on 4:32, kyoto, as well as fukushima prefecture. they were issued advance warning, but the actual earthquake took place in the region, the aftershock of the earthquake. it so happened that it was 5.8 magnitude in northern nagano. this was an earthquake that showed 6. those at 5:12 in the northern area, actually, the earthquake took place magnitude 6.1. it was observed in northern nagano and other areas. and the one issue 6:19, in tokyo where teh pre -- the prefectures issued an advance warning. the magnitude was 4.1. as for the advance warning that we issued on 6:19, [unintelligible] to earthquakes took place -- two earthquake took place. the intensity was fukushima 4. a magnitude of 4.2 and other places also were affected. >> is there any prospect of a downgrading the warnings? >> if you can take a look at the wave shapes -- >> that is of the tokyo meteorological agency, talking about the accuracy and assessment of this size of the aftershocks. he confirmed that the second quake was a 6.6 magnitude that occured in north western jap

this is the sports center of yamagata city that many people from the fukushima prefectures are taking refuge. the players of soccer j yamagata visited in this shelter in order to encourage the students by way of offering a soccer session. training session. and the students are elementary school and middle schools join in the practice sessions with the professional athletes. the little kids for the first time over a long period of time could join in the exercise using soccer balls. this boy says that he has been very bored because there had been nothing to do in the shelter, however he's very happy because he has a lot to do. another boy says that he feels excited and he now learned how to love soccer. kentaru shimizu, one of the top star players of yamagata, said he was very surprised that many of the children are very cheerful and with their energy that the local community will recover. nishigo, village is accepting many refugees, or evacuees. and before that new school year starts they ask for the donation of the school necessities. many utensils and backpacks are donated one after

. >> reporter: people continue to stream out of the fukushima prefecture. what may have been is similar to the meltdown at 3-mile island. >> it is going to take days or maybe even weeks before we know. >> reporter: we have confirmed that u.s. department of energy experts are in japan right now and a that is tracking the radiation from the experts insist there is no risk to anyone in the u.s. john fowler, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> secretary steven chu testified for several hours today looking into nuclear safety in the united states. two physicists from uc berkeley told the senators that the u.s. remains committed to nuclear power and will learn from the crisis in japan. >>> one lawmaker is calling for a seismic study. pg&e will renew its license even though it does not expire for 12 years. sam blakely holds a doctorate in earthquake census is a new study is crucial since the usgs has identified a previously unknown fault line half a mile from the diablo canon plant. >> hawaiian pharmacies and health food stores are selling out of iodide because they can prot

traces of radiation led government officials to halt shipments of milk from fukushima prefecture and leafy vegetables from fukushima and four other regions, some as far as 160 miles from the plant. officials say the radiation levels are not currently high enough to pose a serious health threat. still, japanese anti-nuclear activists warn of potential dangers. >> when there is contamination in the soil, that gets into the food chain and it's there for a long time. >> reporter: but the longer those reactors continue to leak radiation, the more complicated it is to contain the effects. robert bazell, nbc news, tokyo. >> reporter: this ian williams in otsuchi, japan, where it's hard to imagine this was once a bustling fishing community of 14,000 people. officials say a third are dead or missing after the tsunami here barrelled two miles inland, destroying almost everything in its path. this 20-foot tsunami wall was supposed to have provided some sort of protection, but the force of the raging water was so strong it broke straight through, tossing it aside like a bunch of toy blocks. for a

fukushima prefecture has confirmed 509 deaths. over 440,000 people are in about 200400 health shelters. some of the shelters lack food, water and essential supplies such as fuel. relief efforts are hampered by fuel shortage for trucks and ambulances. snow is also falling. the meteorological agency warns the cold weather poses a health risk for the evacuees. the agency says strong aftershocks are likely to continue. it says near the epicenter the intensity could reach six minus to six plus on the japanese scale of zero to seven. now we have reports from miyagi prefecture that suffered extensive damage from the earthquake and tsunami. many people continue to search for their family members and loved ones. they are supporting each other in this time of great despair. >> reporter: this is the iwate prefecture after the earthquake and tsunami, a great fire broke out and the center part of the city was devastated. in the city office, an emergency telephone line was established and there's a long line of people waiting to call their fami

toho bank is the largest regional bank in fukushima prefecture, and it's making efforts to help people rebuild their lives and businesses after recent natural disaster struck the area. >> reporter: this bank is headquartered in fukushima city. by setting up temporary call centers, it's providing consultation services for account holders. >> translator: you don't have your bankbook, family seal or t atm card? >> reporter: to assist clients, they're clabting with 12 additional financial institutions. depositors can withdraw money from the accounts without the usual documentation as long as there's a way to confirm their identities. but the bank has been lagging behind in supporting regional businesses' efforts to rebuilt. since the quake the bank's task force is holding daily videoconferences with its branches in disaster-stricken areas. the goal is to thoroughly under clients' needs. >> the main production line has stopped because the boiler isn't running. >> wee received requests for factory relocation assistance and help with employee dormitories. >> they're in tough spot. many firms

is this large earthquake that hit me iraqi prefecture just north of tokyo just south of the fukushima prefecture where those nuclear reactors are now this is rated six point how to say point one magnitude than one that caused all the damage eight days get was nine point zero so pretty large we haven't heard of any damage and there was some worry about a nuclear reactors due to its proximity to those with that there's really no damage and no injuries no as have been hundreds of aftershocks in the last eight days and this is one of if not be the large the largest though buildings in tokyo was shaking what into reports here in i guess i can give felix but let's say hundreds of our shops based there was believed to be what is expected it will be a very large aftershock following that and original earthquake and this is probably it thankfully right now was the fear it would bring a tsunami with it thank you that's not the case either for five days now our emergency workers have been trying to cool down the reactors in the fukushima nuclear plant we've seen the footage of our airplanes dropping massiv

we're probably going to be getting out of fukushima prefecture either late tonight or early tomorrow. >> reporter: the crisis has centered on four of the six reactors at the dai-ichi plant. since friday, hydrogen buildup in reactors one and three caused explosion which released radioactive material into the air. but even more troubling had been the problems at reactors two and four. continuing efforts to keep the nuclear material cool have failed. early tuesday, explosions ripped through reactor two, possibly damaging the inner steel containment vessel. if it fails, the fuel rods will be exposed, increasing the risk of a partial meltdown. and over at reactor four, which had been shut down since november for maintenance, spent fuel rods caught fire when cooling methods failed there as well. that released high levels of radioactivity into the air. after the fires were extinguished, radiation levels dropped, but officials are concerned the pool walls may be damaged, raising fears of the release of more radiation. for now, reactors five and six, which had also been shut down for maintenan

of a scene after katrina, a sports arena near tokyo is home to about 2300 people from the fukushima prefecture. meanwhile, concern continues over the quake-rattled nuclear plant, with smoke, steam, and radiation still escaping from the reactors. all workers were back on the job today at that crippled reactor site. milk from fukushima and leafy vegetables from a large area of northern japan are now banned for distribution. and radiation has now been detected in seawater near the plant. however, officials say these radiation levels pose no risk to humans. >>> well, wake-up call. millions of us carry our families over bridges now being labeleded structurally deficient. we're going to show you where they are, and what if anything is being done about it. >>> also, royal wedding wheels. get your first look at how kate and william will get to the church for their big day. kate's car, though, comes with some controversy. we'll see it right after the break. >>> and good evening. i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. we're monitoring a flash flood watch for the coastline where 1 to 2 inches is expected

the containmented milk came from fukushima prefecture.iation levels was five times higher than those considered safe. the spinach was found in farms in the miyagi prefecture. >> most of the limits are set low to begin with. so five times higher than the legal limit still would not be enough i don't think to cause a discernible health effect. >> reporter: the government said drinking a glass of contaminated milk a day for an entire year would expose a person to as much radiation as one ct scan. to block the effects of containmented food, officials recommend that people take iodine tablets. radioactive iodine was found in the drinking water here. those don't exceed safety standards but experts say if the reactor was brought under control tomorrow and it won't be, radioactive contamination will continue for weeks and perhaps months. lester? >> >> tonight when we come back, america stepping up to relieve the suffering in japan. be, radioactive contamination will continue for weeks and perhaps months. >> tonight when we come back, america step

of course long long outside one of the few petrol stations that were there were open in the fukushima prefecture and there only being limited to twenty liters of each of you to different speeds of these here have been affected right right and how are the all sources dealing with the situation are they preparing people somehow. the authorities. army troops and police took a police even as well lining the streets and going to the coast beheading people are saying people can't make their way we were trying to get to film pictures will be with them a station caused by the tsunami three days ago and every foot of two hundred meters or so they were police pulling private thing out and to go back and as soon as they heard of the warning tsunami they were literally shamming up chasing us back to the fence and they were police buses picking up independent. who were on foot and other people who would come back to find their houses and try and retrieve what they could. stop calling their tsunami only now find that they will remain the police what banks left to anyway. yeah and of course you are in one of t

parked proper line outside one of the few cattle stations that were they were open in the fukushima prefecture. and there only being limited to twenty liters of petrol the authorities. army troops and police barricades police even as well lining the street and going through the case they're heading people off thank you can't make their way we were trying to get that film pictures of the but there was a station called tsunami three days ago and every thought of two hundred metres or so there were police telling diverting us and think back to the damage is absolutely complete. you don't get a real feel for it until you actually see it until you actually get to the case but it's worth it area of. the tsunami completely wiped out everything in it are very clear that it came it reached eight kilometers an hour just in nine minutes following the quake he must have been absolutely incredible for spears we walk down three buildings there are cars floating in what appeared to be an inland sea it's essentially devastating you didn't fully understand it and didn't really realize the power of the must. we

traces and also what's more is that radio station has also spread to food produced from the fukushima prefecture the milk and spinach were tested and they were found to contain harmful levels of potentially harmful levels of radiation in them and that if ingested then it's although the idea has a short half life it could prove risky to human health and it could and damaged by road. let's sum up again for you our job to the developments in our top story this hour an american military official says u.s. and allied forces have effectively established a no fly zone over libya and halted an offensive by moammar gadhafi forces on rebels in benghazi meanwhile witnesses in the opposition held city news ouattara say at least ten people have been killed in heavy shelling by the army libya's leader spoke earlier on state television saying weapons are being distributed to arm the population so they can protect themselves from coalition strikes and military campaign against gadhafi regime was launched by france britain and the u.s. saturday evening about twenty libyan defense targets have been hit in the wes

current climate along outside one of the few petrol stations that were they were open in the fukushima prefecture and there only being limited to twenty liters each shift and so we are parsis the army troops and police ok police even as well lining the streets are going through the case they're having people out there saying people can't make their way we were trying to get there the film pictures of the the devastation caused by the tsunami three days ago and every sort of two hundred metres or so that there are police telling diverting us and think back but the damage is that. you don't get a real feel for us yet. we're very. the tsunami completely wiped out everything in our very being so i'm. going yeah right in my being critical. still being called seeing what appears to be in. the david thank you for the embers and didn't really realise the power of the must. we'll be until you actually see these pictures and we saw people fifteen through one of the remains of what was then they were. as well and. he is being washed up seven kilometers inland so clearly the families. are. building. pretty m

parked on the lawn outside of one of the few cattle stations that were they were open in the fukushima prefecture. and there only being limited to twenty liters of petrol but the authorities. the army troops and police ok police even as well lining the streets and going to the coast heading people off thank you for can make their way we were trying to get that film pictures of the private station called you know me three day to go and every bit of two hundred metres of the police telling. us to go back to the damage is absolutely complete it's you don't get a real feel for it until you actually meet until you actually get to the coast but it's worth it in areas. the tsunami completely wiped out everything in it are very clear that it came reached. just in nine minutes fall in the air greg. truly incredible force we wiped out three buildings because floating in what appeared to be an inland sea it's absolutely devastating you didn't really understand it and don't really realize the power of the must. we'll be until you actually see these pictures and we saw people sifting through what remains of w

because kilometer long outside one of the few cattle stations who were there were open in the fukushima prefecture. and there only being limited to twenty liters of heat so let's roll the authorities the army troops and police take a police even as well lining the streets and going to the coast they're heading people up there saying people can't make their way we were trying to get the film pictures of me the devastation caused by the tsunami three days ago and every sort of two hundred meters or so they were police telling divesting asking us to go back the damage is that. you get a real feel for it you. get. the tsunami completely wiped out everything in our very same region. in nine minutes all in the great human being in the being credible we wiped out three buildings they're called floating in what appears to be an inland. completely never fully understand it and then fully realize the power of the must. we will be until you actually see these pictures and we saw people sifting through what remains of what was there there were a boat as well and. been washed up seven clumps of inland and so c

parked on the lawn outside of one of the few cattle stations that were they were open in the fukushima prefecture. and there any being limited to twenty liters of petrol the authorities. the army troops and police very carefully even as well lining the streets appealing to the people i think people can make their way we were trying to get their film pictures off the but they have a station called you know me three day to go in every quarter two hundred metres or so they are police telling private thing i can think back to the damage of absolutely complete it's. don't get a real feel for it until you actually see it until you actually get to the case but it's worth it in areas. the tsunami completely wiped out everything in it are very clear that he came he reached a clump of eden just in nine minutes fall and yet craig been absolutely incredible force as we walk down three buildings because floating in what appeared to be an inland sea it is absolutely devastating you didn't really understand it and didn't really realise the power that must be. wielded until you actually see these pictures and we

vicinity of both these reactors and its nuclear power plant have been evacuated further away from fukushima. prefecture actually which we drove through today on our way to sendai where i am now there were concerns amongst the people of could be happening because what we saw was people stocking up on food none of the shops actually had any chance water because people are afraid to drink the tap water here here's a little being contaminated and the government has. not to do so. in the shops and a lot of people are buying food exact in short supply as well in the worst hit area especially here and as for fuel as well we've passed a petrol station most of them actually have been closed but those one open and there's a queue of cars about a kilometer long that will start thirty minutes and everyone's queuing out because their fear of shortages of fuel and so they're only actually. being rationed the amount of fuel i can get by just twenty liters each going to get and still about an hour's drive and the roads are blocked off and hearing the average day is absolutely struction here the buildings are still sta

car kilometer long outside one of the few petrol stations that were they were open in the fukushima prefecture. and there only being limited to twenty or at least to each of petrol the authorities the army troops and police ok police even as well lining the streets and going to the coast beheading people up there bank people can't make their way we were trying to get read the film pictures of the the devastation caused by the tsunami three days ago and every sort of two hundred meters or so that there are police telling diverting asking us to take a back but the damage is absolutely complete. you don't get a real feel for it until you actually meet until you actually get to the case it's worth area. the tsunami completely wiped out everything in it was very clear and came in reached. out to nine minutes fallen here craig been incredible for here's what three buildings there are cars floating in what appears to be an inlet and. it's absolutely everything fully understand invent fully realize the power of the must. we will be until you actually see the sticks and then we saw people say sitting t

but the damage doesn't stop there kapan also now has a nuclear crisis on its hands at the fukushima prefecture plant an explosion in a building housing the number three reactor at the fukushima daiichi plant injured eleven workers experts believe kewl rods in number three are melting at this time hours later cooling problems of the plant's number two reactor allowed nuclear fuel rods to overheat and generate radioactive steam that officials will now have to vent into the atmosphere and a similar explosion over the weekend occurred in reactor number one of the fukushima plant now as we watch this crisis unfold twenty four hour media coverage with one thing there has become very clear with that and that's how little we all really know when it comes to a type of energy that's been used for decades that has lethal and long lasting consequences and as we watch various experts go on and on giving different reports on what it all means well there's reports they change by the minute and so we have to wonder at this point why we know so little and why the media isn't helping his guys are with me is chr

>> reporter: as pressure rose, in the fukushima prefecture reactor, officials struggled in a fight against time to get the pumps fully working. finally, on saturday, an explosion ripped away the building housing the reactor. >> one, by one, every single layer of safety is failing right before their eyes. it's a last ditch measure. they're reaching for the absolute solution. that is to inject sea water right into the reactor core. anything to stabilize it to keep from the going up. >> reporter: an evacuation plan was quickly widened. to include 200,000 people. around the daiichi plant. >> they had never declared a nuclear emergency friday morning. by friday afternoon, they had declared five. >> reporter: as the drama continued, americans were reminded of our own near nightmare. the 1979 three mile island accident. >> radio activity is higher than the dose leetle to humans. >> reporter: that meltdown is still considered to be the most serious accident in nuclear power plant history in the u.s. causing widespread panic. disaster was perilously close. however, the worst case happened seven yea

the contaminated milk came from foods in fukushima prefecture.t 19 miles from the troubled reactors. radiation levels were five times higher than those considered safe. the spinach was found on farms 60 to 90 miles to the south. radiation was up to seven times higher than levels deemed safe. >> most of the limits are set extremely low to begin with, so five times higher than the legal limit still would not be enough i don't think to cause a discernible health effect. >> reporter: the government said drinking a glass of contaminated milk a day for an entire year would expose a person to as much radiation as one ct scan. to block the effects of the contaminated food, japanese authorities recommended this week that people leaving fukushima take potassium iodide tablets. >> one thing we've heard about is contaminated water in addition to the food. water is a nonissue. the levels are still in all the water in japan even close to the reactor lower than the legal standards in the united states. jenna. >> bob, thank you. >>> and we'll be back after this,

. >> tsunami wave was hit right here as you see in fukushima prefecture in northeast japan.ra crew on our helicopter is covering that situation right now. over a tsunami of 4.1 struck land. miyagi and ibaraki were hit. we're back to coverage of that oil refinery in chiba north of tokyo. northeast of tokyo. black billowing out from that oil refinery. several fires have broken out in the tokyo and surrounding areas. the fire department says fires have reported in several places, including reclaimed land of areaki in central tokyo. pacific tsunami warning center extend the area where tsunami waves may strike. warning now includes indonesia, hawaii, australia, new zealand and the south american pacific coast, including, mexico, chile and peru. early they issued a warning for japan, russia, marcus islands, the northern marianas guam, wake island. and taiwan. in miyagi prefecture, northeastern japan, intensity of 7, the maximum was recorded. you're looking at an nhk helicopter capturing images in an oil refinery in chiba prefecture near tokyo. black smoke seen billowing from the r

radioactive material has been detected in five other prefectures around the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. iodine 131 has been detected at in a substance that is not found nature. they believe it was carried by the wind from the plant to surrounding areas and then washed down in to the area by rain. >> 110 or 20 days the radioactive materials will go to the ocean so much of it will be out of the daily cities of the people. >> professor murano says people should not overrearkt when they see small changes in levels, but he warns that a small radioactive substance is emitted from the nuclear plant, the radioactivity will continue for sometime to come. >>> in south korea, bottled water producers are working full time to meet demand from japan after radioactive substances were detected in tap water. a major beverage maker, based in seoul says monthly orders from japanese customers have doubled since the march 11th earthquake. the company received more than 100 orders on both wednesday and thursday. the firm says it's diverted products intended for the domestic market to japan and e

after days of doing without, vegetables finally were delivered to fukushima prefecture today. residents warned not to eat locally grown spinach and other leafy greens because of contamination from the crippled plant. 7 shops are not open says this residents. i heard on the radio they are doing this so i am relieved. still, no relief at the stricken nuclear plant. these new pictures show the immediate aftermath of the tsunami. today, for the first time, white smoke from unit one. gonzal reactors two, three and four. two workers rushed to the hospital after contact with radioactive water. until fukushima's situation returns to normal, i won't really feel safe, she says. now, the run on bottled water now has japan scrambling to import bottled water. while the radiation level here in the water in tokyo may be low, unsafe levels have been detected in neighboring prefectures. >> bill whitaker in tokyo, thanks. >>> let's get more headlines with jeff glor who is over at the news desk for us. >>> good morning, everyone. >>> dramatic rescue in texas. a rig crashed on interstate 20 earli

we are sending them to the miyagi prefecture and fukushima prefecture.e area and started assessment and started the mobile clinics. but unfortunately, because of the phone connection is quite bad, we haven't got all the information yet from them. >> it sounds like, then, without perfect information, there may still be areas that could be impacted that we don't even know about at this point. is that your sense? >> yes, it could be. affected area is very large, so you have haven't been able to take a whole view. >> what, at this point, would you say is your biggest fear? >> well, still not enough information is coming out, so still people are trying to coordinate, and rench and rescue. the coordination is lots of effort putting in the coordination, and also the logistics challenges that might happen. and we just have to do everything at once, and we just don't know how big this operation is going to be. >> it is certainly a very complex scenario with multiple moving parts. people around the world are watching this unfold, and wondering what they can do. sa

we're here in fukushima prefecture, the location of the damaged plant. right now where i'm standing radiation levels are about 2 millisieverts. that's ten times the amount you'd receive in an x-ray. closer to the plant radiation levels have been fluctuating as the struggle to stabilize the plant continues. the latest threat at the fukushima number 1 nuclear plant, a food of radioactive water. efforts to bring the plant under control have been sidelined as workers fight to bail out three of the plant's six reactors. three workers have been burned at reactor number 3, by radiation levels that have spiked 10,000 times normal. the current situation is that we're preventing it from worsening. but chief cabinet secretary yukio edano on saturday, a spokesman for the utility operator tokyo electric power says no one is sure where the radioactive water is coming from. but they haven't had a chance to check the structural integrity of the building since the quake. if there is a crack in the buildi over 100,000 residents in the outer ring of the nuclear danger zone

after the radiation levels all tests are being done on milk and spinach in a neighboring prefectures to fukushima and according to the government's folks person to sit down in the chief cabinet secretary levels of radiation of those that actually succeed safety standards however he did say that these would pose risks to human health as were the radiation in the plant itself that's fluctuating is still very high but outside that thirty kilometers no radiation levels are pretty low but questions now being raised about the privatized ation of nuclear power because. the fukushima power plant was actually owned by the tokyo electric power company and the questions being raised now were said was safety standards compromise for profit as a very private enterprise profit is the main target obviously and the questions also being raised now although they've got fifty of their employees that a little known as the fukushima figure a lot it almost got called status they're trying now as they get it done under wraps but. under control but the problem is the question being asked is are they were leaving so quic

food stuffs as well and the government did send checks on milk and spinach in neighboring prefectures to fukushima earlier today and they found found radiate radiation levels leak of normal again no danger to one's health but there is is obviously now. the government spokesperson a cheap cabinet secretary has said that radiation levels outside the thirty kilometer exclusion zone. and not harmful to the human health lot of governments are believing that they're getting it their nationals out and also an imagery the fingers are being pointed now questions being asked who was the blame for this could have been avoided in the main issue is coming up now months that exit experts worldwide is the issue of privatization of japan's nuclear power because tokyo electric power company owns the plan and the questions now being asked if it was safety compromised for profits. no matter how hard they try disaster still looms at fukushima attempts to cool the reactors have been applauded for bravery but it's been a week since cooling capability was lost and there's no end in sight to this crisis the implications

. >> reporter: government officials ordered the halt of shipments of milk from fukushima prefecture and leafy vegetables, many far from the site. officials say most food is safe but in tokyo some were skeptical. >> i'm going to try to avoid to buy it. >> reporter: we bought spinach in the tokyo market and tested it. with our own radiation device. most batches had nothing above the normal background rate. of one pound per second. one had a rate of two counts per second, well within safety standards, but an indication that radiation has spread in the food supply into the market. evidence that farmers like this woman fear will have long-lasting effects on their livelihood. >> reporter: i'm worried, she says. we won't be able to carry on as farmers. meanwhile the new normal of everyday life continues. with the damaged oil terminal, cars are getting back on the road with the damaged oil reserve repaired. and people are cleaning up, trying to rebuild their lives. despite the loss all around them. thousands are dead and many thousands missing. it is moments like these that give the country a b

this sports arena near tokyo is now home to 2300 people from fukushima prefecture. some lost homes in the earthquake and tsunami. others are radiation refugees, force to flee the area near the reactors. her husband works at the plant and is now part of the herculean effort to contain it. she told me she and her 5-year-old son were forced to flee. her husband can only call her. she can't contact him. and she is very worried. in the disaster zone, there is still much misery. thousands homeless still waiting for aid to arrive. and there is still worry over radiation and food. milk from fukushima and leafy vegetables from a large area of northern japan are now banned. now radiation has been detected in sea water near the plant. although officials say these levels pose no risk to humans, there is clear concern. this woman in tokyo asked if the rain will contaminate her. then there is the overwhelming task of cleanup and recovery as continue to search for loved ones still missing. 24-year-old taylor anderson of richmond, virginia, was an english teacher living in the miya

. >> reporter: this morning two aftershocks struck japan, the strongest in the fukushima prefecture. this as the human suffering continues. in a hard-hit town fuel shortages, icy roads and power outages hampered relief efforts. the sick and elderly are on the floor of this shelter as medical supplies finally trickle in. just 25 miles from the troubled fukushima plant this supermarket was overcrowded, low on basic necessities. many shelves emptied. residents haven't been ordered to evacuate and are now facing a food shortage. there is no food shortage in tokyo but there is a lot of -- run on bottled water, as you can understand. >> thank you so much for bringing us up to date. it is 7:18 pacific time. once again, here is matt. >> ann, thank you very much. >>> to libya where moammar gadhafi has spoken out the first time since air strikes launched by u.s. and coalition forces got under way. nbc's jim maceda is in tripoli. good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, matt. air strikes are are beginning to have an effect on the battlefield. the air strikes have now stopped. tanks have been firin

over 237,000 people are living in shelters across japan in the three hardest-hit prefectures of miyagi, i watta, and fukushima, that border the tsunami. people are taking refuge at shelters. many of the evacuees are suffering from shortages of food, water, and other essentials. we have chief cabinet secretary yukio edano way news conference now. >> translator: thanks for waiting. there is a cabinet meeting. i'd like to report to you the outcome. there are two general issues. one issuance of low and personal changes. starting today we are going to have a meeting for the support of the people in the evacuation shelters. the activities of the meeting, in order to have a smooth operation, we have decided to establish a meeting, a liaison meeting to support evacuatees. we will have close contact and confirm and follow up all issues that are necessary to support the victims. mr. matsumoto is the head. mr. katayama, mr. sengoku, mr. hirano are the members of the special meeting. they will serve as the vice chairmen. and the deputy ministers of different departments have attended this meeting. and every other day sta

meanwhile, a 6.0 aftershock was recorded in fukushima and ibaraki prefectures as cleanup continues in the quake zone. in miyagi, a mass funeral. with funeral homes destroyed and fuel for cremation in short supply, this former garbage dump, now the temporary resting place for as many as 1,000 quake and tsunami victims. when things are somewhat back to normal, those bodies will be cremated. the death toll now exceeds 9,300 and certainly will climb higher. erica? >> bill whitaker in tokyo, thanks. >>> now here's chris. >> thank you. >>> now the latest from libya, where for the fourth night in a row, the u.s. and its allies attack targets in and around the capital tripoli. moammar gadhafi appeared in public for the first time since the air attacks began telling supporters, quote, we'll do feet them by any means. we will not surrender, end zoets. officials say nato is working out its differences and will take over enforcement of libya's no-fly zone. news correspondent mark phillips in tripoli with the latest on the violence. >> reporter: good morning, chris. the first news this morning is

do you think that radiation is coming from the local nuclear plant in any argue prefecture or is it coming from the fukushima area where the air power plant in trouble is at. yes this is quite a serious report and whether the weather to radiation is coming from fukushima daiichi reactor number one or number three which is also having problems or more locally is a very important question to sort of i would hazard to guess that it's coming from fukushima daichi number one now there are different types of radiation being released into the atmosphere different types of isotopes the good news is that a lot of the steam which extinct in the explosion from day to reactor number one building yesterday is relatively light isotopes that is ice isotopes such as nitrogen nitrogen sixteen these isotopes have very short half life span and can really cause long term damage to human helps a more serious problem is that they have also detected isotopes of iodine and cesium in the area around the fukushima explosion these are much heavier isotopes and that means that if they get into the human body or if they get into the soi

correspond to the timing of the explosion in fukushima but as i say so you saw the evacuation area has been ten fifteen twenty kilometers away if in the next prefecture if radiate measurable radiation was present then obviously radiation is spreading beyond the evacuated area it is on the other side of the day from sendai it's north of sendai whereas the fukushima site is south of sendai so that would be quite a distance that would certainly indicate that if it did travel that far that there was about open measurable radiation in sendai city itself i think that there's a very conflicting reports coming out on the one hand you have the chinese government claiming that there was some melting of the fuel in the number three reactor at fukushima number one site and then you say you also have reports that they are they were in error when they said that that any of the fuel had melted i don't there's two possibilities obviously one is that dire information is being withheld in an effort to make the situation seem better than it is and also to avoid panic but the other perhaps more likely scenario is that the government is not quite certain of the state of

the regions around fukushima we now know that there have been traces the radioactive substances radioactive iodine in fact found in the water systems in and made by neighboring prefectures including in tokyo even says traces of radioactive iodine it's not considered harmful if ingested just yet but what's more wiring is that it's there it wasn't never thought this disaster happened in fukushima the radiation levels inside the water are considered to be harmful what's more it's also spread to food products from the region to taiwan has just reported that some imported farther beans from japan do contain trace the radiation as well so it's a bit of a wind development there and that the anxiety now as they're going this radiation is now spreading to anger on the streets because today five hundred antinuclear protesters joined a demonstration and your antiwar demonstrations in tokyo demonstrating against you can. they're holding blackguards calling for the end of nuclear power in japan they're unlikely to have that demand met but the fukushima plant once the situation is under control will certainly be closed because it's been rendered useless now telling us that the spring