Democracy Now! Report from Sendai: Fears of Radioactivity Are Hampering Relief Efforts

神保哲生 2011/3/17

The official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami has risen to 5,000, and at least 9,400 people are missing.

Some 850,000 households have no power, and 1.5 million houses lack running water. Food and gas supplies have been nearly exhausted.

We speak with video journalist Tetsuo Jimbo, who is in Sendai, Japan, one of the worst-hit areas. He describes the destruction of Rikuzen-Takata, a city formerly home to around 20,000 residents, half of whom are now missing.

Jimbo says fears of radioactivity are hampering relief efforts.

“The government is overwhelmed. They don’t have enough personnel to devote to respond to the relief effort or the rescue effort.” [includes rush transcript]

http://publish.dvlabs.com/democracynow/flash/dn2011-0317.mp4?start=1626.0&end=1903.0