Japanese living near Fukushima plant advised to move

People living in a 20-30 kilometer radius of Japan's troubled Fukushima power plant have been advised to move due to food shortages, Kyodo news agency said on Friday, RIA Novosti.

Radioactive pollution around the plant, which was left severely damaged by a powerful earthquake and tsunami earlier this month, remains high, with radioactive iodine in seawater 147 times the safety limit.

"The distribution of goods is stalled, and it is rather difficult to maintain their daily living over a long period of time," government spokesman Yukio Edano said. He added that the government would fully support residents to relocate.

Two workers at the plant were hospitalized on Thursday after being exposed to high levels of radiation.

The death count in the twin disaster has climbed to 10,035 people, the NHK TV channel reported on Friday, citing police. Some 17,443 people are still missing.

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from the disaster zone, with many still living in temporary shelters set up by the authorities.

The Japanese government has said the damage from the disaster could total $310 billion.