日本核事故升至与切尔诺贝利事故同级

We learn today that the nuclear crisis is even worse than we thought. Officials have raised the scale of the incident to the highest level, the same as Chernobyl. People within the 12-mile radius of the plant are already under strict evacuation orders. But now those in even more towns further from the reactors have been told to go, too. Bob Woodruff was in one of the towns today. Bob?

Good evening George. We just got back from this town about 25 miles north of the nuclear facility, a place of relatively high level of radiation. And we actually had the chance to go and talk to town managers, but during that interview, we actually felt this big aftershock, which is one reason why there is rising fear here.

In this quiet town Litate, you can not see or smell the radiation, but it is here. We visited briefly to minimize our exposure. The government has ordered those who live here to go.

"Are they asking you to leave town?"

"Yes, the government came door to door yesterday." This man told us, "to tell everyone we have to leave within a month."

The decision to move the evacuation zone further out from the cripple plants comes as Japan and world grasp just how serious of a leak this is, now in the same category as Chernobyl, the worst in history.

"I think we now have a reality check on the Japanese government, which is finally acknowledged that they do not yet have a handle on this accident. They have not yet reached bottom. "

Making everything worse, the aftershocks. "Do you think it's political?" One struck while we were here in Litate today, doing an interview when it hit.

Dairy farmer Kenichi Hasegawa knows it is time to go. Work here is lost, lives are changing fast.

"Are you angry about this?"

"I'm absolutely sickened." He told me, "I hate those nuclear plants."

Because of this radiation, he is not allowed to let his cows graze in the field. He can not sell the milk, instead, he must dump it.

This is one of Japan's most beautiful places, he told us, but with radiation in the soil, he fears this could be a waste land.

You should know that people did tell us they are gonna refuse to go, unless they are just forced out. George.

Thank you, Bob.