Fallout Jitters Grip Europe; Romanians Staying Indoors : Yugoslavs Warned on Vegetables

The huge invisible cloud of radiation from the Soviet nuclear disaster continued its erratic course over Europe today, raising radiation levels in Yugoslavia to eight times normal. In Romania, between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, state television advised people to stay indoors, wash fruits and vegetables, and avoid rural water.

A West German weather center said it was receiving hundreds of calls from people worried about radioactivity, while Britain ordered radiation checks on all food from the Soviet Union.

Belgrade radio reported radiation readings in the Yugoslav capital today of 100 microroentgens per hour, compared to a normal 12, but said the situation was “not critical and there is no need for excessive alarm.”

The official radio said the city had stopped drawing drinking water from the Sava River, its main source, and was using wells. Warnings were issued against eating freshly picked vegetables and staying outdoors for long periods.

Overnight Rain Cited

Nuclear scientist Pavle Todorovic said in a radio interview that an overnight rain “brought down all the radioactive substances” over a wide area of the Balkans.

Romania’s state television indicated wide areas of the country were affected by higher radiation, but gave no figures. In Bulgaria, just south of Romania, the official news agency BTA did not respond to an inquiry about radiation levels and steps being taken.

In Washington, the State Department recommended that women of child-bearing age and children stay away from Poland because of the hazard there. The department left open the possibility that other countries might be added to a list of areas to avoid.

In northern Europe, the Dutch government announced that radiation levels were three times normal today.

Protection for Cows

Authorities in Scandinavia, over which the cloud passed first, said radiation levels were expected to remain above normal for weeks. They said there was no health risk, but urged such precautions as keeping cows in their barns so their milk would not be contaminated by pasture grass.

No new information was released by the Soviet government, which says the Chernobyl power plant accident in the Ukraine is under control. Most other nations discount the low official casualty toll of two dead and 197 injured.

An American doctor, Robert Gale of UCLA, who is an expert in bone marrow transplants, arrived by invitation to consult with Soviet medical authorities on treatment of the injured. Destruction of bone marrow is a major consequence of severe radiation exposure.

Gale was unreachable in Moscow and the U.S. Embassy said his visit was private.

Health Organization to Meet

The World Health Organization said it will convene a meeting Tuesday in Copenhagen for health officials of European countries in the fallout area. The U.N. agency said it saw no immediate health risks in those countries.

Some embassies issued precautionary food advisories to nationals living in Moscow, but the U.S. Embassy said it saw no immediate danger in the capital.

U.S. Ambassador Arthur Hartman advised the American community in a statement that the embassy saw no need for food precautions at the moment. He said that the available fruits and vegetables are from previous crops or greenhouses, that milk is from local cows and that Moscow’s water supply is not endangered.

Hundreds of foreigners have been evacuated from Kiev, a city of 2.4 million people 80 miles south of the disaster site, and Minsk, another major Ukranian city 200 miles away.