Akhir 13, 1432 H/March 18, 2011, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has received a detailed briefing from the head of the world body's atomic agency on the situation in Japan, where at least three nuclear reactors were damaged by last week's 9.0 magnitude earthquake. “The secretary-general yesterday spoke with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Association] Director General, Mr. Yukiya Amano,” Ban's office said in an email to reporters Thursday. “The secretary-general received detailed briefing on the situation at the Fukushima nuclear plants and the ongoing efforts by the Japanese authorities,” the email said. “They also discussed the upcoming trip to Japan by the IAEA Director General. The Secretary-General reiterated his serious concern about the situation and expressed appreciation for the IAEA's assistance to help the Japanese authorities control the situation.” The damage to the reactors resulted in some radiation being leaked, prompting Japanese authorities to order an evacuation for people living within 20 kilometers of the plants and heightening fears of a nuclear meltdown.
