Taiwan finds radiation on 25 travellers

TAIWAN authorities have so far detected radioactive particles on 25 passengers arriving on planes from Japan, where one of the worst nuclear crises in history is unfolding, officials said today.

A day after scanning equipment was set up at three major airports, more than 4,400 people arriving from Japan had been tested and 25 were found to carry radioactive particles, said the Atomic Energy Council, Taiwan’s nuclear regulator.

“Most of the radioactive particles were discovered on their shoes or clothes,” an official said.

All were allowed to leave after they had changed shoes or clothes or had the affected items washed with water, he said.

Meanwhile, specialist military units trained in nuclear defence were deployed at the three airports.

Taiwan has also begun screening food imported from Japan for radioactivity, even though officials have said they believe the Japanese food products being imported were produced before the earthquake struck.

Last Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami have crippled the Fukushima nuclear power plant, 250km northeast of Tokyo.

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