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Japan to evacuate locals outside 20-km radius of nuke plant

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-04-11 16:32

TOKYO -?Japan's government says it is urging even more people to evacuate the area around the crippled nuclear plant that has been spewing radiation since a tsunami swamped its cooling systems a month ago.

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People living within 12 miles (20 kilometers) already have been ordered to leave because of radiation concerns. Other people farther out had been advised to stay indoors.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Monday that residents of five additional communities, some more than 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the plant, are being urged to leave within a month.

Edano says it's not an emergency, but that high radiation levels have been detected in some places and there are concerns about long-term health risks as the crisis drags on.