UN atomic chief heads to Japan

The head of the UN atomic agency has left for Tokyo to assess the nuclear crisis unleashed by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan’s north-eastern coast.

Before taking off from Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano said “the international community is standing by Japan”.

He said he plans to meet senior Japanese government officials and others involved in efforts to cool the overheated uranium fuel from the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.