Japan has more than doubled its estimate of radiation that escaped from the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in the first week after the disaster.
Japan's nuclear safety agency also said meltdowns took place in three reactors more quickly than earlier believed.
The assessment comes as an expert panel begins an inquiry into the crisis.
The plant's operator is hoping to shut down the facility by January, although there is concern it may take longer - the plant is still leaking radiation.
More than 80,000 local residents living within a 20km (12 mile) radius of the plant have been evacuated from their homes. A voluntary evacuation policy is operating in the area 20-30km from the plant.
Some towns further away have also been affected.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says more evacuations are being considered. Monitoring shows the lie of the land and wind patterns may be causing a build-up of radiation in other areas.
Brace for criticism
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (Nisa) now says 770,000 terabecquerels escaped into the atmosphere following the 11 March disaster - more than double its earlier estimate of 370,000 terabecquerels.
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