It is also expected that water cannons will be aimed at the reactors as the situation causes increasing alarm in the US. The confirmed death toll now from the earthquake and tsunami has reached 5,000 and radiation levels are said to have heightened significantly. Another 8,606 people are still unaccounted for, according to official figures.

Foreign governments have started making moves to evacuate their citizens from the country. France has called for a complete evacuation while the British Foreign Office has been more reserved and advised people to leave the north of Japan or fly out altogether.

Many international airlines have also cancelled routes into Tokyo or changed their stopover cities to protect staff from the possible radiation. Many factories in the city remain without power, causing major problems for the country’s usually robust economy.

Reports of panic buying at both Japan’s shops and petrol stations have also been flooding in, with the country’s citizens scared that a full-blow nuclear meltdown will confine them to their homes. The country’s emperor has expressed his concern over the growing nuclear crisis but has appeared on TV to appeal for calm.

The project spearheaded by British pop music guru Simon Cowell and attracting the participation of 21 of some of the top performing artists today took less than a fortnight to complete for planning to its airing on radio today.

Stars such as Take That, Susan Boyle and Kylie Minogue took part in the making of the cover of Everybody Hurts by American 90s iconic band REM.

Cowell managed to easily pull strings in the business to arrange the single project to take root.

The various singers take turns at being featured as the main vocalist, starting with former X Factor winner Leona Lewis, followed by rock legend Rod Stewart, American R and B singer Mariah Carey, Cheryl Cole, Mika and Canadian performer Michael Buble.

The single was recorded in two locations. Some singers lent their voices for the track in London, while others, such as Robbie Williams, was part of the Los Angeles sessions.

Alexandra Burke — another X Factor winner – as well as James Morrison, were called into Trevor Horn’s Sarm Studios in the London district  of Notting Hill – where in 1984, the original fund-raising Band Aid song was recorded.

The other artists that took part the project are Jon Bon Jovi, Miley Cyrus, James Blunt and members of Westlife and JLS and the rising star Susan Boyle.

REM has waived the copyright fees for the use of their songs.

The proceeds of the single will go to two charity organizations: the Sun’s Helping Haiti fund and the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Everybody Hurts will be available for download on February 7 and will be in shops in a cd form the following day.