Japan ups disaster debris estimate to reach North America
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photosTOKYO (AFP) - Japan's estimate for the amount of debris from the 2011 quake-tsunami disaster that will reach North America later this year has sharply increased, a report said on Friday.
Some 221,000 tons are set to reach the North American coastline by October, according to data from the Ministry of Environment, Kyodo news agency reported.
In November the ministry had said 33,000 tons of debris would complete its journey across the Pacific by June.
But the new forecast estimates 30,000 tons to arrive by April, 105,000 tons by June and 173,000 tons by August.
