Man found stranded since March 11 in empty town inside evacuation zone

So how many people did the government actually tell that they were evacuating the area? Or were they just supposed to hear it on the news and get out themselves?

Yes, that's what you are supposed to do, listen to the emergency broadcasts and do what they say. Silly to think that any government can do a door to door and pick everybody up to evacuate them.

AP journalists doing a more thorough job than local police(with lives at stake no less).

Silly to think that any government can do a door to door and pick everybody up to evacuate them.

Well they said before that the jieitai actually were going door to door

SAD that no-one found him until now... but wonderful that he survived and is safe now.

"Yes, that's what you are supposed to do, listen to the emergency broadcasts and do what they say."

And after three days they finally tell you to do what - walk out, drive without fuel ??? What would you do as an elderly person that couldn't easily get around?

"AP journalists doing a more thorough job than local police(with lives at stake no less)."

And how many people did the AP journalist find? How many did the police find? Logic people

Poor guy! Where did his wife run off too?

W.r.t. radiation, it can take decades for cancer to develop, so at 75, why bother leaving?

" How many did the police find?"

Well no one alive according to this article.

It is so hard to accept as being true, but so it is. I hope the Govt will take him into some situation of being ignored & give him some help even if he has lost his wife for the latter must be hard on him a well.

"W.r.t. radiation, it can take decades for cancer to develop, so at 75, why bother leaving?"

In the dark without eating ? There is barely enough food for workers at the power plant next door...

The guy is 75 years old... he was scared, and he was also probably waiting for his wife to come home (without leaving the house to let anyone around him know he was there). At least he was found alive. Hopefully won't suffer any radiation effects, either.

The police said they would check on him as soon as they could.

That should read The police said they would check on him immediately.

The government should have more people to assigned house to house check up to see if there any victims lives to their premises.

" How many did the police find?"

Well no one alive according to this article.

So you're basing your comments on this one article?

Robert: It's been nearly a month since the tsunami. Anyone alive, certainly someone not buried under rubble(in this case an elderly man still living in his home) should be accounted for by local authorities. A difficult job, but again, if AP journalists from outside the area can locate this man, why couldn't the local police?

"Robert: It's been nearly a month since the tsunami. Anyone alive, certainly someone not buried under rubble(in this case an elderly man still living in his home) should be accounted for by local authorities."

Should they? Maybe if you lived in Japan and were in Japan you would know that the local authorities are dead in a lot of places. Whole families are gone, whole towns. Naive to think they would have a head count that would include 100% of everybody.

This is from wiki about Katrina "At least 1,836 people died in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods"

Notice the "At least" there? They still don't know how many people died all these years later and you people are calling the Japanese government inept because one old guy didn't or couldn't evacuate. No appreciation for the difficulty of the job or the amazing job people are actually doing.

"Some construction workers directed them to a part of town where some houses were intact."

A very simple bit of detective work.

It is a massive disaster and a terrible event than is hard to fathom really. This is a good news story and we shoudl be pleased that this has happened. The authorities cannot do everything perfectly at the best of times let alone in the current situation. Let's just be happy that the chap is safe.

Government workers, police, and soldiers have been encountering difficulties evacuating the containment zone (10ｰ20km), as they are not allowed to enter homes uninvited. They can only ring doorbells, call out for occupants, etc. The restricted zone (20ｰ30km) is not designated for mandatory evac, and only a government warning to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities has been issued. Many residents carry on life as usual in this area. As can be expected, there are also many dieｰhards who flatly refuse to evacuate.

"What were the foreign jornalist doing there in a danger zone? Looking for more "sensational" stories again?"

They just opened it up to look for bodies for the first time since the quake a few days ago. Since then reporters have been going in with the search crews and a big story they want to get is "people living in the evacuation zone"

I dare say there will be a few more of these cases of older people left behind. Let's hope they are found in similar health.

“The tsunami came right up to my doorstep,”

...and his house is still standing. I can picture the big sigh of relief.

If this gentleman's wife cannot be located, I think he should be presented with that dog who was stranded at sea. They seem made for each other.

Give that man a sake. x

lemur: "If this gentleman's wife cannot be located, I think he should be presented with that dog who was stranded at sea."

I believe they located and returned the dog to its owner. I could be wrong. Nice sentiment, though.

maybe we could simply encourage each other in the ongoing search; it's difficult to arrange puzzle pieces when you're one of the pieces itself...

I don't care if it was the Paparazzi that finds a survivor...it's great to hear some good news.

Hang in there, old guy!

bugs me it took a while to find him. didn't they search EVERY surounding House & Farm & everywhere where people lived?! Glad to hear some good news. but anytime good news is far & few.

This is finally some good news. I am happy for this poor old man, the men who rescued him are national heroes! Let us hope they find many more people alive.

What were the foreign jornalist doing there in a danger zone? Looking for more "sensational" stories again? I am happy old man was rescued but dont want foreign journalists making more bad stories about Japan.