PM Kan Orders 3 km Evacuation; Extended to 10 km Within Hours

At 19:03 JST, Prime Minister Naoto Kan declared a Nuclear Emergency and ordered residents within 3 km of Fukushima Daiichi to evacuate. By 21:23 JST the zone was expanded to 10 km, affecting approximately 45,000 residents. The order was issued under the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness. Evacuees had little time to prepare; many left without medications, documents, or adequate supplies, conditions that would later contribute to excess morbidity and mortality.