France urges nationals in Tokyo to leave country or head south

TOKYO, March 16 (Reuters) - The French government has urged its nationals living in Tokyo to leave the country or head to southern Japan due to the risk of radiation from an earthquake-crippled nuclear power plant to the north of the capital.

The French embassy in Tokyo said in a statement that its advisory applied with immediate effect to those French nationals who were not obliged to remain in the city.

It added that it had asked Air France to mobilise planes currently in Asia to evacuate French citizens, and two were already on their way.