GERMANY: Passengers coming back from Japan say danger but no panic in the country

Record ID: 463633

  • Title: GERMANY: Passengers coming back from Japan say danger but no panic in the country
  • Date: 15th March 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNNAMED PASSENGER SAYING, "Yeah, terrible disaster, it was. We all Japanese, very very concerned but in Kanto area is not so panic."
  • Embargoed: 30th March 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA6N3P38VAXB82AS13RZAE2P8Z9
  • Story Text: Passengers from Japan arrived at Germany's Munich airport on Tuesday (March 15) with the message that it was important not to panic.
    An 9.0-magnitude earthquake -- the strongest recorded in Japan -- sent a 10-metre (33-foot) high tsunami ripping through towns and cities across the northeast coast on Friday (March 11). On Tuesday radiation levels rose at the country's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after a fire and several explosions caused by the earthquake.
    Later media reports said the radiation levels were falling.
    One passenger at Germany's southern airport said there was danger but that people must not panic.
    "Yes, big danger but we must control ourselves and behave accordingly," he said.
    Another passenger, a snowboarder from Sweden, said they had not been in any danger in the north but felt it was better to be safe than sorry.
    "We just heard about the nuclear power plant and were not sure about the situation, so we decided it was maybe better to try and get home a few days earlier instead of, you never know," Victor Skogvist said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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