On Monday the Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced that it detected radioactive iodine six times the normal level and cesium from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

The Japanese Asahi Shimbun said these materials are typical substances being churned out in the course of nuclear fission, making it clear that nuclear fuel has been damaged.

Radioactive substances were detected from drinking water in Tokyo, Chiba, Niigata and six other prefectures on the same day.

On March 19, foods contaminated by radiation were found in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures.

Fire broke out at Reactors No. 2 and No. 3 of the plant on Monday.

In the meantime, the human and material losses caused by quake and the ensuing tsunami are on the steady increase.

The National Police Agency of Japan said that the death toll reached 9,079 and 12,654 were reported missing as of noon of Tuesday.

Many factories and infrastructures were seriously destroyed and factories of Toyota, Nissan and Sony companies, the major business groups in the eastern region, stopped production due to the shortage of electricity.

An acute shortage of petrol and agricultural products is driving the daily life of inhabitants into confusion.

Media of Japan said that it is hard to improve such situation at an early date and economic recovery would be considerably difficult.

Aftershocks are taking place one after another.

On March 19, a magnitude 6.1 quake rattled the area of Kanto. The epicenter was 20 kilometers underground in the northern part of Ibaragi Prefecture.