Japan expands post-quake search, rescue operations at critical time
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Japan's post-quake and tsunami search and rescue operations headed by the Self-Defense Forces ( SDF) have been widened Saturday following a meeting of the government's anti-disaster countermeasure unit headed by Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
Kan announced that the number of personnel to be dispatched to Japan's quake-ravaged northeastern region will be expanded to 50, 000, to better facilitate the urgent need of support there at this crucial time.
The defense ministry said that 190 aircraft and about 25 vessels have been or are in the process of being deployed.
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said he expected both senior government officials and SDF officers to do everything in their power to deal with the relief efforts.
In collaboration with the U.S. military, the SDF will ferry 900 Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) personnel and 250 vehicles by U.S. ships, to quake-stricken coastal regions.
The defense ministry said it was the largest-ever anti-disaster mission ever conduct between the two forces in Japan.
The SDF will also coordinate with the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. 7th Fleet in joint rescue missions off the Pacific coast, said the ministry.
GSDF forces arrived Saturday to ensure the safe evacuation of local people living near two stricken nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture that malfunctioned after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit on Friday.
Around 3,000 residents have been safely evacuated, the ministry said, although concern remains high about the controlled release of small amount of radioactive steam from the plants planned to reduce mounting pressure that could otherwise lead to a meltdown.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said earlier in the day that the steam is not expected to cause any immediate threat to people's health and called for people to stay calm.
Radiation reaching 1,000 times the regular level was detected in the operating room at one of the plants and at the entrance levels were recorded at eight times more than usual, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.
Rescue teams from South Korea and other countries are due to arrive in Japan Saturday to provide further man power to assist with search and rescue operations.
The Foreign Ministry also said Saturday that 50 nations and regions have offered to provide support following Friday's great earthquake
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