London, March 14 : The French government has advised its nationals to leave Tokyo "for a few days", reports The Daily Telegraph, London.The advice from Paris is the most alarmist response from any major country, writes Harry Wallop for The Telegraph.
It warned its nationals to leave the Tokyo area "for a few days" due to the risks of a possible strong new quake in Japan and problems posed by the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Britain, in contrast, has told its citizens that non-essential travel to Tokyo and the north-east of the country should be avoided, while its authorities assessed the damage. It did not suggest any Britons should leave Tokyo.
The French embassy in Tokyo said it had based its assessment on a warning from the Japan meteorological agency that an aftershock with a magnitude of seven or higher was probable in the region.
"The probability of such an event taking place in the next three days is 70 per cent, and 50 per cent in the two days following," the embassy said.
The French authorities also noted the "uncertainty over the nuclear issue" after Tokyo said small levels of radiation had escaped from reactors at Fukushima.
It warned that should one of the reactors explode, radioactive steam could reach the Tokyo area "in a matter of hours", depending on the direction and speed of the wind, creating a possible risk of contamination.
"It seems reasonable to advise those who don't have a specific reason to stay in the Tokyo area to get away ... for a few days," the statement said.The French high school in the capital will be closed from Monday to Wednesday to allow for am inspection of the premises, it added.The American government urged its citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Japan for the time being, including non-essential trips by official personnel.
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