Japanese evacuations persist beyond bigger Fukushimano-go zone

More and more people are leaving their homes in the two towns of Kawamata and Iitate to spend their first night in evacuation centres, as Japanese engineers abandoned their latest attempt to stabilise a stricken reactor at the Fukushima plant.

More than 80,000 local residents living within a 20km (12 mile) radius of the plant have been evacuated from their homes – an extension over the previous evacuation area. A "stay indoors" policy has been operating in the area 20-30km from the plant.

The wider evacuation zone was decided upon last month, as radiation levels were expected to increase and necessitating the move. The towns are more than 30km (19 miles) from the Fukushima plant, which still is continuing to leak radioactive material.

About 5,000 people have been moved into public housing, hotels and other facilities in nearby cities. More evacuations are expected in the coming days.

In the meantime, efforts to control the collapse of Fukushima are continuing to face problems.

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), had intended to cool reactor 1 by filling the containment chamber with water, but it said that melting fuel rods had created a hole in the chamber, allowing 3,000 tonnes of contaminated water to leak into the basement of the reactor building.

Tepco says it will come up with a new plan to stabilise the reactor by Tuesday.

The power plant was badly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March.