Nepali embassy in Japan moved to Osaka

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, March 18: Nepali Embassy in Japan has been moved from Tokyo to Osaka amid fear that radioactive materials released after powerful explosion of a nuclear reactor in Phukusima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station could pose health threats.

According to Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai, all embassy staffers are due to reach Oshaka Thursday evening.

“The Nepali embassy will temporarily conduct its operations from Oshaka,” he said. Osaka is some 520 kilometers away from Tokyo.

The decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to move the embassy to a safer place comes after Western countries including Britain started evacuating their nationals from Fukushima Power Station.

Likewise, concerns are high in China and among Japan´s neighboring countries after top United States nuclear official claimed that damage to the Nuclear Power Station was far more serious than Japan had acknowledged.

On Wednesday, Nepali embassy in Japan had rescued some Nepalis living in Phukusima area and brought to Tokyo. Likewise, another 52 Nepalis, affected by earthquake and subsequent Tsunami in Sendai area, have also been brought to Tokyo.

Asked if the government had any plans to evacuate Nepali nationals from Japan, senior MoFA officials said they do not have any such plans as yet.

“Now the rescued Nepalis are free to do what they think is right since there is no problem of mobility as it was in Libya. We presume that they would not have problems purchasing air tickets,” the official further said.