1m 4s: Lenght

Diplomats from the US embassy in Tokyo staffed a help desk at the city s Haneda airport on Thursday evening. They were anticipating a large-scale exodus of citizens who wanted to flee Japan amid ongoing nuclear concerns. Earlier Thursday the US authorised the first evacuations of Americans out of Japan taking a tougher stand on the deepening nuclear crisis and warning US citizens to defer all non-essential travel to any part of the country as unpredictable weather and wind conditions risked spreading radioactive contamination. The embassy sent an email to US citizens in Japan saying they would make arrangements to provide flights to safehaven locations in Asia but that such travel would be on a reimbursable basis as required by US law. However almost two hours after the email told citizens to arrive at the airport 1800 local 0900 GMT hardly anyone had shown up seeking assistance. US diplomats including the Consul General refused to give media interviews but one official who did not want to be named admitted there would not be a charter flight leaving from Haneda airport any time soon. Several US carriers including American Airlines and Delta have flights from Haneda late Thursday night and early Friday morning to locations such as San Francisco Honolulu Los Angeles and New York. On Wednesday US President Barack Obama placed a telephone call to Prime Minister Naoto Kan to discuss Japan s efforts to recover from last week s devastating earthquake and tsunami and the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Dai-chi plant. Obama promised Kan that the US would offer constant support for its close friend and ally. But a hastily organised teleconference with officials from the State and Energy Departments underscored the administration s concerns. The travel warning extends to US citizens already in the country and urges them to consider leaving. The authorised departure offers voluntary evacuation to family members and dependents of US personnel in Tokyo Yokohama and Nagoya and affects some 600 people. Senior State Department official Patrick Kennedy said chartered planes will be brought in to help private American citizens wishing to leave. People face less risk in southern Japan but changing weather and wind conditions could raise radiation levels elsewhere in the coming days he said. The decision to begin evacuations mirrors moves by countries such as Australia and Germany who also advised their citizens to consider leaving Tokyo and other earthquake-affected areas. Tokyo which is about 170 miles 273 kilometres from the stricken nuclear complex has reported slightly elevated radiation levels though Japanese officials have said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 mmillion people in and around the capital. Earlier Wednesday the Obama administration urged the evacuation of Americans from a 50-mile 80-kilometre radius of the stricken nuclear plant raising questions about US confidence in Tokyo s risk assessments. Japan s government was urg