Japan to enforce nuclear evacuation zone, official says

Japan will begin enforcing an often-flouted evacuation order and keep people out of the 20-km zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a top official announced Wednesday.

About 78,000 people have homes in the evacuation zone, and many have been going back to retrieve belongings, and check on farms and businesses in recent weeks.

Animal rescue groups have gone in to get pets for owners who didn't expect to be gone for more than a month, and numerous journalists have ventured inside to document conditions.

All that needs to stop "to guarantee the health and safety of the people," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters Wednesday.

Edano, the government's point man for the crisis, said Tokyo will work with local officials to make plans for closing the zone soon.

He would not elaborate on how the closure would be carried out, but said that families would be allowed to enter the area to get things from their homes under proper protections.

Police are stationed at checkpoints leading into the area currently, but enforcement appears to vary from post to post or officer to officer. (read more)