Very Very Very Exceptionally Bad Things

Reported this morning by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), via Japan's Kyodo News Service. Ahh; it's probably nothing.

URGENT: Radiation 1,600 times normal level 20 km from Fukushima plant: IAEA
VIENNA, March 22, Kyodo

Radiation 1,600 times higher than normal levels has been detected in an area about 20 kilometers from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, International Atomic Energy Agency officials said Monday.

Data collected by an IAEA team show that radiation levels of 161 microsievert per hour have been detected in the town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, the officials said.

The government has set an exclusion zone covering areas within a 20-km radius of the plant and has urged people within 20 to 30 km to stay indoors.

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