The United States and Russia united last night in offering to help Japan cope with the worst nuclear accident in its history.
"We are all very concerned and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan today," President Clinton said in Washington. "This is going to be a very hard day for the people of Japan and we are doing our best to determine what in fact has happened and what assistance we can give . . . We will do whatever we possibly can."
The Energy Secretary, Mr Bill Richardson, said the US and Russia were prepared to send a joint team to the site to assist Japanese experts. "We have experts that can deal with this problem. We are ready to help our friends."
US experts were on "immediate alert" at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, ready to go to Japan if requested by Tokyo. Robots could also be used in heated and contaminated areas.
In Berlin, the German Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, said he was "very concerned" about the accident.
The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland sought to reassure people here. There was no chance that radiation still escaping from the wrecked nuclear fuel plant in Tokaimura could reach Ireland, it said.
The institute first became aware of the accident when contacted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. It in turn contacted the Government early yesterday afternoon.
Green Party deputy Mr Trevor Sargent said the accident was a warning which the Government must heed. It was time to put pressure on the British government to get out of nuclear reprocessing and MOX manufacture.
"The new Sellafield MOX plant which is waiting for permission to start up must be moth-balled," he said. "Nuclear reprocessing contracts between Sellafield, Japan and other countries must be renegotiated. The British government will have to face up to the fact that the burden of risk imposed by this volatile and extremely dangerous industry is far too great."