Higher than normal radiation detected in Tokyo: city govt

TOKYO, March 15, 2011 (AFP) - A higher than normal level of radiation was detected in Japan's capital Tokyo on Tuesday, but a city government official said it was not considered at a level harmful to human health.

TOKYO, March 15, 2011 (AFP) - A higher than normal level of radiation was detected in Japan's capital Tokyo on Tuesday, but a city government official said it was not considered at a level harmful to human health.

"We monitored a higher than normal amount of radiation in the morning in Tokyo. But we don't consider it to be at a level where the human body is affected," said Sairi Koga, an official of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The central government warned Tuesday that radiation levels near a quake-stricken nuclear plant are now harmful to human health, following two explosions and a fire earlier in the day.

The plant is 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (C), accompanied by his cabinet members Michihiko Kano (L) and satsuki Eda (R) sits at a cabinet meeting at the prime miniser's official residence in Tokyo on March 15, 2011. AFP
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (C), accompanied by his cabinet members Michihiko Kano (L) and satsuki Eda (R) sits at a cabinet meeting at the prime miniser's official residence in Tokyo on March 15, 2011. AFP

Another city official said 0.809 of a micro-sievert was measured between 10 am (0100 GMT) and 11 am in Tokyo. Jiji Press said this figure was 20 times higher than on Monday.

A chest X-ray typically involves a dose of 20 micro-sieverts.

Other news