日本福島核電廠受到地震造成的輻射外泄，讓全亞洲地區國家都處于相當緊張的狀態，不過多國科學家均表示，目前鄰近國家都還在安全范圍內，不會受到核輻射影響。不過，近日菲律賓、新加坡以及中國不少手機用戶都收到一條聲稱是來自BBC新聞的短信，稱日本政府證實搶救輻射外泄任務失敗，已開始蔓延至亞洲區域國家，并敦促人們盡量不要外出，用碘溶液涂抹甲狀腺所在部位以保護其免受輻射。

受此短信影響，亞洲多個國家出現搶購日本食品和奶粉的熱潮，同時非全能的防輻射藥物“碘化鉀”也在各國熱銷。菲律賓北部一些學校甚至將學生提早遣散回家。為了防止此類謠言短信繼續傳播，引發民眾恐慌，中國、新加坡以及韓國等國家紛紛表示將用不同方式追查短信來源，并對短信傳播者進行懲罰。

Medical staff use a Geiger counter to screen a woman for possible radiation exposure at a public welfare centre in Hitachi City, Ibaraki, March 16, 2011, after she evacuated from an area within 20km (12.4 miles) radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. (Agencies)

Asian nations vowed to crack down on hoax messages warning of radiation spreading beyond quake-hit Japan, which have helped stoke growing unease over the crisis.

Shoppers scrambled to hoard supplies of favorite Japanese food products, fearing contamination of future stocks, after radiation was unleashed from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The hoax text messages and e-mails, warning people to shelter from dangerous radioactive material, were reported to have spread as far afield as India.

Thought to have originated in the Philippines and purporting to be a BBC newsflash, the messages urge people to stay indoors and swab their thyroid glands with iodine solution to block radiation sickness.

Japan's atomic emergency has sparked panic buying of iodine pills, even though experts warned they are of limited use. Iodine solution, an antiseptic, is completely ineffective.

In Hong Kong, nervous parents queued for the preferred Japanese powdered milk formula as fears grew that future shipments may contain radioactive traces. And despite widespread expert assurances that there is currently no risk outside Japan, the radiation threat was also troubling restaurateurs around the region.

Some schools in the northern Philippines sent their pupils home early on Monday.

Philippine Justice Minister Leila de Lima ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to trace the source of the hoax SMS messages, saying they were liable for crimes against public order.

Scientists and authorities in Singapore dismissed a text message circulating in the country warning about possible radioactive rain as a hoax.

The Singaporean National Environment Agency said that the country would not be affected by radioactive rain because the nuclear reactors in Japan were thousands of kilometers away, local media reported.

Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to reassure citizens that the country faces no imminent danger from the radiation leaks affecting its neighbor.

South Korea urged calm after bogus alerts swept its social media networks and vowed to punish those responsible under social unrest laws allowing up to a year in jail.

Manila also threatened tough action, as the hoax texts prompted some panicked schools to close, despite being about 2,800 kilometers away from the Fukushima plant.

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(Agencies)

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）