The government has declared an atomic emergency and tens of thousands of people living within 20 kilometres of the plant have been asked to evacuate their homes. The operator of the nuclear plant said the container surrounding the reactor has not been damaged in the explosion. Japanese nuclear scientists confirmed that the plant is experiencing a nuclear meltdown. The loss of cooling water is leading to a meltdown of the reactor. Radioacative materials–cesium and iodine–were also detected around the No 1 rector of the plant. People going outside were told to avoid exposing their skins and to cover faces with masks and wet towels. Kyodo quoting police said that another nuclear plant adjacent to the one which exploded was also malfunctioning with the radiation level reaching almost 1,000 times the normal level. The authorities said that an emergency had been declared at all five nuclear reactors as the units had lost cooling ability. The US dispatched plane loads of coolants to the disaster struck nation. Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency described the situation at the Fukushima plant dire. Rescue teams from South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and other countries were set to arrive in Japan, after 50 nations offered support following the powerful earthquake.