Turning to Japan where new evacuations have begun beyond the 30-kilometre exclusion zone around
the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, a giant barge to store radioactive water has been sent to the damaged the facility to bolster
stabilization efforts.
Radiation risks are increasing near the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.
The latest evacuations apply to people living outside of the 30-kilometer exclusion zone.
Residents in Iitate village are among the nearly 8-thousand preparing to leave.
Norio Kanno, Iitate Village Mayor, said, "I'm sure most of you as residents have lived in this village all your lives and hadn't ever planned on moving. However, I now have to ask you to pack up and leave your homes. I am deeply sorry."
The first group of evacuees left their homes on Sunday. It consisted mainly of families with children. The government has asked all others
living in the areas designated as "planned evacuation zones" to move out by the end of the month.
But the move has angered many residents.
Local Resident, said, "It's such an incredible shame to have to leave the house that I've lived in and grown used to. I'm lost for words."
The wider evacuations come after worrying details emerged about the state of the number one reactor at the Fukushima plant. Fuel rods in the reactor had melted down after the earthquake and dropped to the bottom of the pressure vessel at the core.
The plant's operator TEPCO said on Saturday that about 3-thousand tons of radioactive water had filled the number one reactor's basement.
To tackle the problem, a giant barge was sent to temporarily store the contaminated water. It is expected to reach the plant sometime near
the end of the month.
Despite the discovery of the additional leaked water, engineers plan to stick to their target of stabilizing the plant and bringing its reactors to a state of cold shutdown by January.