Washington (CNN) -- The State Department announced late Wednesday that it has approved the departure of family members of U.S. government personnel from certain areas of Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear power plant crisis.
Americans are urged to postpone all travel to the affected areas, the U.S. said, hours after expanding the recommended evacuation zone around the nuclear plants to a radius of 50-miles.
The Japanese government has told people to evacuate to at least 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the damaged reactors.
"The State Department has authorized the voluntary departure from Japan of eligible family members of U.S. government personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the U.S. Consulate in Nagoya, and the Foreign Service Institute Field School in Yokohama," the announcement said.
"U.S. citizens should defer all travel to the evacuation zone around Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and tourism and nonessential travel to the rest of Japan at this time," the announcement said.
The State Department said it's exploring ways to assist with the departure of American citizens, including the possibility of chartering aircraft.
And the Pentagon announced late Wednesday that it also would assist in the departure of dependents of its military and Defense Department personnel from crisis areas in Japan.
"U.S. forces remain in Japan and the U.S. has full capability to fulfill our alliance commitments to defend Japan and maintain peace and security in the region," a statement from Pentagon spokesman, Col. Dave Lapan said. "The Department of Defense will implement the Dept of State-approved voluntary departure for eligible DoD dependents."
The U.S. military has about 43,000 family members in Japan, but it is unclear how many are in the affected areas, Lapan said.
====
看來去日本的計畫可能要延遲了~ sigh
沒有留言:
張貼留言