New Zealanders in Japan are being advised to consider leaving Tokyo and the quake-stricken areas further north as authorities struggle to bring the nuclear crisis under control.
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on Friday cut power to the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing explosions and fires that yesterday released a cloud of potentially life-threatening radiation.
People within 20km of the plant have been evacuated while those within 30km of the plant are advised to remain indoors.
More than 1800 New Zealanders are registered as being safe and well in Japan, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) still has serious concerns about New Zealander Peter Setter, who is missing in the affected area.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully said this afternoon that MFAT was advising New Zealanders in Tokyo and the quake- and tsunami-hit areas further north to consider leaving those areas.
"We're not putting it any more strongly than that yet, but we're thinking about that at the moment," he said.
It was not yet known how many New Zealanders had fled the country, but Mr McCully said consular officials had helped some people in the north to travel south.
"We'll look at doing whatever we can to assist. Clearly it's a situation that's moving quite quickly at the moment," he said.
Japanese authorities have advised the nuclear crisis was slowly being stabilised, but Mr McCully this morning said media reports had painted "a different story".
"We need to make our own assessment, and as you'll appreciate that's difficult but it's something we're doing in association with others," he said.
Australia, Britain and Germany have also advised their citizens in Japan to consider leaving Tokyo and earthquake-affected areas, joining a growing number of governments and businesses telling their people it may be safer elsewhere.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, however, said its advice to Australians had nothing to do with the threat of nuclear contamination from the damaged plant.
"We are providing this advice because of the continuing disruption to major infrastructure, its impact on the welfare of people on the ground and continuing aftershocks," its notice said.
Tokyo, which is about 220km south of the stricken nuclear complex, reported slightly elevated radiation levels on Tuesday.
Officials said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital, but some countries have relocated their embassies or suggested their citizens leave the area.
Germany's Foreign Ministry advised its citizens living near the nuclear plant or in the capital region to either leave the country or move to the Osaka area west of Tokyo.
Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said an estimated 5000 Germans were in Japan before the earthquake, but only 1000 were believed to remain in and around the capital.
Germany's embassy in Tokyo had been "partly relocated" to the consulate general in Osaka, Peschke said.
Britain's Foreign & Commonwealth Office advised against all nonessential travel to Tokyo and northeastern Japan, and urged British citizens within that zone to consider leaving.
France urged its citizens with no reason to stay in Tokyo return to France or head to southern Japan. The government has asked Air France to mobilise aircraft in Asia to assist with departures.
Serbia and Croatia advised their citizens to leave Japan, while Croatia said it was moving its embassy from Tokyo to Osaka because of the nuclear crisis.
More than 3000 Chinese have already been evacuated from Japan's northeast to Niigata on Japan's western coast, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Beijing became the first government to organize a mass evacuation of its citizens from the quake-affected area.
Other governments, including the US, are taking a more measured approach.
The White House recommended that US citizens stay 80km from the stricken nuclear plant, outside the 32km radius recommended by the Japanese.
The order came after President Barack Obama met with top advisers and the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo told its citizens to follow advisories issued by Japanese authorities. It added, however, that Filipinos who are concerned about possible radiation exposure "may wish to voluntary relocate to areas further away, or depart voluntarily from the country using their own means."
If relocation and repatriation become necessary, the Philippine government would defray the costs involved, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
An Indian software services company, L&T Infotech, ordered the temporary evacuation of 185 employees and their family members from Japan. It said in a release that it had chartered a special Kingfisher Airlines flight that will depart Friday to Chennai, India.
Cirque du Soleil has also decided to move its performers and staff working in Japan to Macau, spokeswoman Chantal Cote said in an e-mail.
Its show ZED is based at Tokyo Disneyland, and the touring KOOZA show was performing at the Fuji Dome in Tokyo.
