Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant experienced full meltdowns at three reactors in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami in March, the country's Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters said Monday.
The nuclear group's new evaluation, released Monday, goes further than previous statements in describing the extent of the damage caused by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
The announcement will not change plans for how to stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the agency said.
Reactors 1, 2 and 3 experienced a full meltdown, it said.
The plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co., admitted last month that nuclear fuel rods in reactors 2 and 3 probably melted during the first week of the nuclear crisis.
It had already said fuel rods at the heart of reactor No. 1 melted almost completely in the first 16 hours after the disaster struck. The remnants of that core are now sitting in the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel at the heart of the unit and that vessel is now believed to be leaking.
read the rest at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/06/06/japan.nuclear.meltdown/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+International
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
People running for their lives
You might have seen this in Yahoo, but anyway, sad to see people watching their home washed away, and friends running for their lives.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Traces of Japan radioactivity in US rain
WASHINGTON - Traces of radioactivity from damaged nuclear power facilities in Japan have been detected in rainwater in the northeast United States, but pose no health risks, officials said.
The Environmental Protection Agency, in an update Sunday, said it had received reports of "elevated levels of radiation in recent precipitation events" in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and that it was "reviewing this data."
The EPA has been monitoring radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, and had previously detected "very low levels of radioactive material" in the United States, while saying that these "were expected" and that "the levels detected are far below levels of public health concern."
"Elevated levels of radioactive material in rainwater have been expected as a result of the nuclear incident after the events in Japan since radiation is known to travel in the atmosphere," the EPA added.
The agency has stepped up its monitoring of precipitation, drinking water, and other potential exposure routes for radiation as a precaution.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1119349/1/.html
The Environmental Protection Agency, in an update Sunday, said it had received reports of "elevated levels of radiation in recent precipitation events" in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and that it was "reviewing this data."
The EPA has been monitoring radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, and had previously detected "very low levels of radioactive material" in the United States, while saying that these "were expected" and that "the levels detected are far below levels of public health concern."
"Elevated levels of radioactive material in rainwater have been expected as a result of the nuclear incident after the events in Japan since radiation is known to travel in the atmosphere," the EPA added.
The agency has stepped up its monitoring of precipitation, drinking water, and other potential exposure routes for radiation as a precaution.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1119349/1/.html
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Look at that!
the green roof building totally destroyed, and the row of building on the right too, gone!
Friday, March 25, 2011
FUKUSHIMA: Highly Radioactive Water Is Leaking From Three Reactors; Japan Urges Locals To Flee
TEPCO announced that highly radioactive water is leaking from reactors 1, 2, and 3, according to Kyodo. This will make repairs at the nuke plant significantly harder
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-friday-march-25-2011-3#ixzz1HfWQyvou
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-friday-march-25-2011-3#ixzz1HfWQyvou
Friday, March 18, 2011
Japan agency raises Fukushima accident level to 5
OSAKA, Japan - Japan's nuclear safety agency on Friday raised the Fukushima crisis level to five from four on the international scale of gravity for atomic accidents, which goes to as high as seven.
The decision by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) puts Fukushima on the same level as the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and makes it the worst ever in Japan.
A spokesman for the agency said it had alerted the IAEA on its decision, which was made due to the condition of reactors one, two and three at the plant stricken by last week's massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated swathes of northeastern Japan.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1117345/1/.html
The decision by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) puts Fukushima on the same level as the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and makes it the worst ever in Japan.
A spokesman for the agency said it had alerted the IAEA on its decision, which was made due to the condition of reactors one, two and three at the plant stricken by last week's massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated swathes of northeastern Japan.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1117345/1/.html
THOUSANDS OF FOREIGNERS FLEEING JAPAN, AS CRISIS IS UPGRADED TO LEVEL 5
http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-nuclear-plant-2011-3
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Japan Says 2nd Reactor May Have Ruptured With Radioactive Release
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/world/asia/17nuclear.html?_r=2&ref=global-home
TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear crisis intensified dramatically on Wednesday after the authorities announced that a second reactor unit at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan may have ruptured and appeared to be releasing radioactive steam.
Such were the radiation levels above the plant, moreover, that the Defense Force put off a highly unusual plan to dump water from military helicopters to lower temperatures in an overheating pool containing spent fuel rods, news reports said.
The development showed the seriousness of the challenges facing the authorities. The vessel that possibly ruptured had been seen as the last fully intact line of defense against large-scale releases of radioactive material from one of the stricken reactors, but it was not clear how serious the possible breach might be. The implications of overheating in the fuel rod pool at the plant’s No. 3 reactor unit also seemed perilous.
TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear crisis intensified dramatically on Wednesday after the authorities announced that a second reactor unit at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan may have ruptured and appeared to be releasing radioactive steam.
Such were the radiation levels above the plant, moreover, that the Defense Force put off a highly unusual plan to dump water from military helicopters to lower temperatures in an overheating pool containing spent fuel rods, news reports said.
The development showed the seriousness of the challenges facing the authorities. The vessel that possibly ruptured had been seen as the last fully intact line of defense against large-scale releases of radioactive material from one of the stricken reactors, but it was not clear how serious the possible breach might be. The implications of overheating in the fuel rod pool at the plant’s No. 3 reactor unit also seemed perilous.
Crisis deepens at quake-hit Japan nuclear plant
TOKYO : Japan's nuclear crisis deepened on Wednesday with another fire at a quake-hit atomic power plant and a radiation spike there that forced the temporary evacuation of workers.
Military helicopters carrying giant buckets were preparing to drop water on the stricken plant, which has been hit by four explosions and two fires since last Friday's earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems.
But media reports quoting defence ministry officials said the attempt was postponed because of high radiation levels over the Fukushima No. 1 plant, 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo.
Scared Tokyo residents filled outbound trains and rushed to shops to stock up on face masks and emergency supplies, amid fears of radiation headed their way. Some foreign residents have also pulled out.
The radiation level in the mega-city was normal on Wednesday, officials said. Levels had risen on Tuesday but not to a degree hazardous to health.
Chief government spokesman Yukio Edano made an apparent attempt to ease fears in the face of mounting overseas concern.
He said radiation poses no immediate health threat outside a zone within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the plant which has already been evacuated.
"I have been informed that the figures monitored today (outside the zone) were not anything that would harm human health immediately," Edano told a briefing.
The day began with a pre-dawn blaze at the plant's number-four reactor. This apparently died out of its own accord, but in mid-morning, a cloud of smoke or steam was seen rising from the number three reactor.
Radiation levels then rose sharply at the plant - prompting a brief evacuation of workers - but fell soon afterwards.
Edano said the most likely explanation for the sudden rise was an emission of radioactive steam from the number three reactor's containment vessel,
although he stressed nothing had been confirmed.
There was no need at present to expand the evacuation zone around the plant, he said. At 4:00pm (0700 GMT) the radiation level was stable around 1.5 millisieverts near the front gate, the spokesman said.
Military helicopters carrying giant buckets were preparing to drop water on the stricken plant, which has been hit by four explosions and two fires since last Friday's earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems.
But media reports quoting defence ministry officials said the attempt was postponed because of high radiation levels over the Fukushima No. 1 plant, 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo.
Scared Tokyo residents filled outbound trains and rushed to shops to stock up on face masks and emergency supplies, amid fears of radiation headed their way. Some foreign residents have also pulled out.
The radiation level in the mega-city was normal on Wednesday, officials said. Levels had risen on Tuesday but not to a degree hazardous to health.
Chief government spokesman Yukio Edano made an apparent attempt to ease fears in the face of mounting overseas concern.
He said radiation poses no immediate health threat outside a zone within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the plant which has already been evacuated.
"I have been informed that the figures monitored today (outside the zone) were not anything that would harm human health immediately," Edano told a briefing.
The day began with a pre-dawn blaze at the plant's number-four reactor. This apparently died out of its own accord, but in mid-morning, a cloud of smoke or steam was seen rising from the number three reactor.
Radiation levels then rose sharply at the plant - prompting a brief evacuation of workers - but fell soon afterwards.
Edano said the most likely explanation for the sudden rise was an emission of radioactive steam from the number three reactor's containment vessel,
although he stressed nothing had been confirmed.
There was no need at present to expand the evacuation zone around the plant, he said. At 4:00pm (0700 GMT) the radiation level was stable around 1.5 millisieverts near the front gate, the spokesman said.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Japan says radiation near nuke plant poses health risk
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1116565/1/.html
TOKYO: Radiation levels near a quake-hit nuclear plant are now harmful to human health, Japan's government said after two explosions and a fire at the crippled facility Tuesday.
The crisis at the Fukushima No.1 plant, local 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo, has now spread to four out of its six reactors following Friday's quake and tsunami which knocked out cooling systems.
"There is no doubt that unlike in the past, the figures are the level at which human health can be affected," said chief government spokesman Yukio Edano.
Tens of thousands have already been evacuated from a zone within a radius of 20 km from the ageing plant, but Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people living within 10 km of the exclusion zone to stay indoors.
TOKYO: Radiation levels near a quake-hit nuclear plant are now harmful to human health, Japan's government said after two explosions and a fire at the crippled facility Tuesday.
The crisis at the Fukushima No.1 plant, local 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo, has now spread to four out of its six reactors following Friday's quake and tsunami which knocked out cooling systems.
"There is no doubt that unlike in the past, the figures are the level at which human health can be affected," said chief government spokesman Yukio Edano.
Tens of thousands have already been evacuated from a zone within a radius of 20 km from the ageing plant, but Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people living within 10 km of the exclusion zone to stay indoors.
JAPAN FACES NUKE DISASTER, KAN ADDRESSES NATION, FIRE AT REACTOR #4, NIKKEI CRASHES
Editor: Salute to the 50 workers!!
The latest: The state of panic around the world is palpable. There have been two explosions in the past few hours, at reactors #2 and #4.
Markets are crashing around Asia. The Nikkei is off 16%!
PM Naoto Kan addressed the nation, and told everyone within a 30KM radius to stay indoors, as radioactive material shoots forth.
50 workers will stay at the plant to pump seawater into three reactors and battle the fire at the fourth, according to the NYT.
KYODO Wire is now reporting that a small amount of radiation has been discovered in Tokyo.
http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-nuclear-plant-2011-3
The latest: The state of panic around the world is palpable. There have been two explosions in the past few hours, at reactors #2 and #4.
Markets are crashing around Asia. The Nikkei is off 16%!
PM Naoto Kan addressed the nation, and told everyone within a 30KM radius to stay indoors, as radioactive material shoots forth.
50 workers will stay at the plant to pump seawater into three reactors and battle the fire at the fourth, according to the NYT.
KYODO Wire is now reporting that a small amount of radiation has been discovered in Tokyo.
http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-nuclear-plant-2011-3
Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami
check out this place for the interactive photos
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Nuclear Expert: You Can Stop Worrying About A Radiation Disaster In Japan
I repeat, there was and will *not* be any significant release of radioactivity from the damaged Japanese reactors.
By "significant" I mean a level of radiation of more than what you would receive on - say - a long distance flight, or drinking a glass of beer that comes from certain areas with high levels of natural background radiation.
The plants at Fukushima are so called Boiling Water Reactors, or BWR for short. Boiling Water Reactors are similar to a pressure cooker. The nuclear fuel heats water, the water boils and creates steam, the steam then drives turbines that create the electricity, and the steam is then cooled and condensed back to water, and the water send back to be heated by the nuclear fuel. The pressure cooker operates at about 250 °C.
The nuclear fuel is uranium oxide. Uranium oxide is a ceramic with a very high melting point of about 3000 °C. The fuel is manufactured in pellets (think little cylinders the size of Lego bricks). Those pieces are then put into a long tube made of Zircaloy with a melting point of 2200 °C, and sealed tight. The assembly is called a fuel rod. These fuel rods are then put together to form larger packages, and a number of these packages are then put into the reactor. All these packages together are referred to as “the core”.
The Zircaloy casing is the first containment. It separates the radioactive fuel from the rest of the world. The core is then placed in the “pressure vessels”. That is the pressure cooker we talked about before.
The pressure vessels is the second containment. This is one sturdy piece of a pot, designed to safely contain the core for temperatures several hundred °C. That covers the scenarios where cooling can be restored at some point.
The entire “hardware” of the nuclear reactor – the pressure vessel and all pipes, pumps, coolant (water) reserves, are then encased in the third containment. The third containment is a hermetically (air tight) sealed, very thick bubble of the strongest steel. The third containment is designed, built and tested for one single purpose: To contain, indefinitely, a complete core meltdown. For that purpose, a large and thick concrete basin is cast under the pressure vessel (the second containment), which is filled with graphite, all inside the third containment. This is the so-called "core catcher". If the core melts and the pressure vessel bursts (and eventually melts), it will catch the molten fuel and everything else. It is built in such a way that the nuclear fuel will be spread out, so it can cool down.
This third containment is then surrounded by the reactor building. The reactor building is an outer shell that is supposed to keep the weather out, but nothing in. (this is the part that was damaged in the explosion, but more to that later).
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-reactors-pose-no-risk-2011-3
By "significant" I mean a level of radiation of more than what you would receive on - say - a long distance flight, or drinking a glass of beer that comes from certain areas with high levels of natural background radiation.
The plants at Fukushima are so called Boiling Water Reactors, or BWR for short. Boiling Water Reactors are similar to a pressure cooker. The nuclear fuel heats water, the water boils and creates steam, the steam then drives turbines that create the electricity, and the steam is then cooled and condensed back to water, and the water send back to be heated by the nuclear fuel. The pressure cooker operates at about 250 °C.
The nuclear fuel is uranium oxide. Uranium oxide is a ceramic with a very high melting point of about 3000 °C. The fuel is manufactured in pellets (think little cylinders the size of Lego bricks). Those pieces are then put into a long tube made of Zircaloy with a melting point of 2200 °C, and sealed tight. The assembly is called a fuel rod. These fuel rods are then put together to form larger packages, and a number of these packages are then put into the reactor. All these packages together are referred to as “the core”.
The Zircaloy casing is the first containment. It separates the radioactive fuel from the rest of the world. The core is then placed in the “pressure vessels”. That is the pressure cooker we talked about before.
The pressure vessels is the second containment. This is one sturdy piece of a pot, designed to safely contain the core for temperatures several hundred °C. That covers the scenarios where cooling can be restored at some point.
The entire “hardware” of the nuclear reactor – the pressure vessel and all pipes, pumps, coolant (water) reserves, are then encased in the third containment. The third containment is a hermetically (air tight) sealed, very thick bubble of the strongest steel. The third containment is designed, built and tested for one single purpose: To contain, indefinitely, a complete core meltdown. For that purpose, a large and thick concrete basin is cast under the pressure vessel (the second containment), which is filled with graphite, all inside the third containment. This is the so-called "core catcher". If the core melts and the pressure vessel bursts (and eventually melts), it will catch the molten fuel and everything else. It is built in such a way that the nuclear fuel will be spread out, so it can cool down.
This third containment is then surrounded by the reactor building. The reactor building is an outer shell that is supposed to keep the weather out, but nothing in. (this is the part that was damaged in the explosion, but more to that later).
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-reactors-pose-no-risk-2011-3
Make a donation
you can visit the site to make a donation
http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now?single=1
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-appeal.htm?sourcecode=A11038054
http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now?single=1
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-appeal.htm?sourcecode=A11038054
Saturday, March 12, 2011
March 11, 2011 Honshu tsunami propagation
Propagation of the March 11, 2011 Honshu tsunami was computed with the NOAA forecast method using MOST model with the tsunami source inferred from DART® data. From the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, located at NOAA PMEL in Seattle, WA. See http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/honshu20110311
The explosion occurs in the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant
Look at the explosion at about 1:22 of the video
Tsunami hits US West Coast
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1116002/1/.html
LOS ANGELES: Tsunami waves from Japan's huge quake have killed at least one person and sparked mass evacuations on the American continent, but failed to inflict major damage.
Surges of eight feet (2.4 metres) high crashed ashore on the coasts of California and Oregon Friday, up to 12 hours after the 8.9-magnitude quake triggered tsunami alerts in dozens of countries across the Pacific.
In California's Del Norte County, a 25-year-old man was confirmed dead after being swept into the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Klamath River.
The man and two friends were taking photographs of the incoming tsunami waves.
"We have at least 35 boats that have been crushed. We have boats on top of other boats," said Cindy Henderson, emergency services manager in Crescent City, 350 miles north of San Francisco.
The US Coast Guard added there had also been damage to about six boats in a marina in Santa Cruz, further south, after they collided with each other due to the buffeting tsunami waves.
Santa Cruz port director Lisa Ekers estimated the damage at more than $10 million, according to CNN.
California's governor Jerry Brown, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency in four of the state's coastal counties -- a procedure that unblocks federal funds to help with the clean-up.
Before reaching the US mainland the tidal waves hit Hawaii, which had been given only four hours to evacuate low-lying areas, sirens blared as locals and tourists scrambled to higher ground.
Many residents had already taken refuge in shelters, after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an ocean-wide alert for the giant waves along the West Coast, down through Central and South America as far as Antarctica.
Several hours later, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie said the tsunami warning had been downgraded to a tsunami advisory.
"Although we were fortunate that a more destructive tsunami did not materialise, I can assure everyone that our agencies and officials are well-prepared to respond to emergencies of this nature," the governor said.
Canada also issued an alert for the north coast of British Columbia, warning it may "produce strong currents dangerous to those in or near the water."
LOS ANGELES: Tsunami waves from Japan's huge quake have killed at least one person and sparked mass evacuations on the American continent, but failed to inflict major damage.
Surges of eight feet (2.4 metres) high crashed ashore on the coasts of California and Oregon Friday, up to 12 hours after the 8.9-magnitude quake triggered tsunami alerts in dozens of countries across the Pacific.
In California's Del Norte County, a 25-year-old man was confirmed dead after being swept into the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Klamath River.
The man and two friends were taking photographs of the incoming tsunami waves.
"We have at least 35 boats that have been crushed. We have boats on top of other boats," said Cindy Henderson, emergency services manager in Crescent City, 350 miles north of San Francisco.
The US Coast Guard added there had also been damage to about six boats in a marina in Santa Cruz, further south, after they collided with each other due to the buffeting tsunami waves.
Santa Cruz port director Lisa Ekers estimated the damage at more than $10 million, according to CNN.
California's governor Jerry Brown, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency in four of the state's coastal counties -- a procedure that unblocks federal funds to help with the clean-up.
Before reaching the US mainland the tidal waves hit Hawaii, which had been given only four hours to evacuate low-lying areas, sirens blared as locals and tourists scrambled to higher ground.
Many residents had already taken refuge in shelters, after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an ocean-wide alert for the giant waves along the West Coast, down through Central and South America as far as Antarctica.
Several hours later, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie said the tsunami warning had been downgraded to a tsunami advisory.
"Although we were fortunate that a more destructive tsunami did not materialise, I can assure everyone that our agencies and officials are well-prepared to respond to emergencies of this nature," the governor said.
Canada also issued an alert for the north coast of British Columbia, warning it may "produce strong currents dangerous to those in or near the water."
US deploys two nuclear experts to Japan
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1116145/1/.html
WASHINGTON - The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Saturday it has sent two experts to Japan, where authorities were seeking to calm fears of a reactor meltdown in the aftermath of a massive earthquake.
"We have some of the most expert people in this field in the world working for the NRC and we stand ready to assist in any way possible," commission chairman Gregory Jaczko said in a statement announcing the deployment.
The NRC -- an independent agency mandated by Congress to regulate US commercial nuclear power plants and other nuclear materials -- said the pair were experts in boiling water nuclear reactors and are part of a broader US aid team sent to the disaster zone.
The commission has activated "its Maryland-based headquarters Operations Center since the beginning of the emergency in Japan, and is operating on a 24-hour basis," the statement added.
A blast at a Japanese nuclear plant triggered fears of a meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,000 dead and at least 10,000 unaccounted for.
As workers doused the stricken reactor with sea water to try to avert catastrophe, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the chaos unleashed by Friday's 8.9 magnitude quake was an "unprecedented national disaster."
On Sunday in Japan, the operator of the plant said the cooling system of another reactor was not working and risked a possible explosion.
- AFP /ls
WASHINGTON - The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Saturday it has sent two experts to Japan, where authorities were seeking to calm fears of a reactor meltdown in the aftermath of a massive earthquake.
"We have some of the most expert people in this field in the world working for the NRC and we stand ready to assist in any way possible," commission chairman Gregory Jaczko said in a statement announcing the deployment.
The NRC -- an independent agency mandated by Congress to regulate US commercial nuclear power plants and other nuclear materials -- said the pair were experts in boiling water nuclear reactors and are part of a broader US aid team sent to the disaster zone.
The commission has activated "its Maryland-based headquarters Operations Center since the beginning of the emergency in Japan, and is operating on a 24-hour basis," the statement added.
A blast at a Japanese nuclear plant triggered fears of a meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,000 dead and at least 10,000 unaccounted for.
As workers doused the stricken reactor with sea water to try to avert catastrophe, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the chaos unleashed by Friday's 8.9 magnitude quake was an "unprecedented national disaster."
On Sunday in Japan, the operator of the plant said the cooling system of another reactor was not working and risked a possible explosion.
- AFP /ls
Another quake-hit Japan reactor in trouble
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1116143/1/.html
TOKYO - The operator of a quake-hit Japanese nuclear plant said Sunday that the cooling system of another reactor was not working and risked a possible explosion.
"All the functions to keep cooling water levels in No. 3 reactor have failed at the Fukushima No. 1 plant," said a spokesman of Tokyo Electric Power
"As of 5:30 am (2030 GMT Saturday), water injection stopped and inside pressure is rising slightly," he said, adding the operator filed an emergency report on the plant's condition with the government.
The fresh risk arose after a huge explosion ripped through the plant's No. 1 reactor Saturday afternoon despite the operator's efforts to control high temperatures and growing inside pressure.
Tepco, however, said it was the structure encasing the reactor that had collapsed, adding that it happened at the time of an earthquake aftershock, and that the steel reactor inside it was not ruptured.
Japan had Friday declared an atomic emergency amid growing international concern over its reactors after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, the biggest in Japan's history, unleashed massive tsunamis.
An evacuation order for local residents was expanded to 20 kilometres (12 miles) around the plant in fear that evaporating cooling liquid would expose the fuel rods to air and trigger a nuclear meltdown and major radiation leak.
The UN atomic watchdog said Japan reported that an estimated 200,000 people had been evacuated so far from the areas around the Fukushima No.1 and No. 2 nuclear plants.
The two Fukushima nuclear plants, some 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Tokyo, are located close to each other, with six reactors at the No.1 plant and four reactors at the No.2.
- AFP /ls
TOKYO - The operator of a quake-hit Japanese nuclear plant said Sunday that the cooling system of another reactor was not working and risked a possible explosion.
"All the functions to keep cooling water levels in No. 3 reactor have failed at the Fukushima No. 1 plant," said a spokesman of Tokyo Electric Power
"As of 5:30 am (2030 GMT Saturday), water injection stopped and inside pressure is rising slightly," he said, adding the operator filed an emergency report on the plant's condition with the government.
The fresh risk arose after a huge explosion ripped through the plant's No. 1 reactor Saturday afternoon despite the operator's efforts to control high temperatures and growing inside pressure.
Tepco, however, said it was the structure encasing the reactor that had collapsed, adding that it happened at the time of an earthquake aftershock, and that the steel reactor inside it was not ruptured.
Japan had Friday declared an atomic emergency amid growing international concern over its reactors after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, the biggest in Japan's history, unleashed massive tsunamis.
An evacuation order for local residents was expanded to 20 kilometres (12 miles) around the plant in fear that evaporating cooling liquid would expose the fuel rods to air and trigger a nuclear meltdown and major radiation leak.
The UN atomic watchdog said Japan reported that an estimated 200,000 people had been evacuated so far from the areas around the Fukushima No.1 and No. 2 nuclear plants.
The two Fukushima nuclear plants, some 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Tokyo, are located close to each other, with six reactors at the No.1 plant and four reactors at the No.2.
- AFP /ls
Blast at Japan nuke plant; 10,000 missing after quake
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1116108/1/.html
SENDAI, Japan - An explosion at a Japanese nuclear plant triggered fears of a meltdown Saturday, after a massive earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,000 dead and at least 10,000 unaccounted for.
As workers doused the stricken reactor with sea water to try to avert catastrophe, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the chaos unleashed by Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake was an "unprecedented national disaster".
The quake, one of the biggest ever recorded, unleashed a terrifying 10-metre (33-foot) wave that tore through towns and cities on Japan's northeastern coast, destroying everything in its path.
In the small port town of Minamisanriku alone, some 10,000 people are unaccounted for -- more than half the population -- public broadcaster NHK reported.
Even as Japan struggled to assess the full extent of the devastation, the nation faced an atomic emergency as cooling systems damaged by the quake failed
at two nuclear reactors.
Smoke billowed from the Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant about 250 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo, after an explosion blew off the roof and walls
of the structure around the reactor.
Radiation leaked from the plant, but the government moved to calm fears of a meltdown, saying that the blast did not rupture the container surrounding the
reactor and that radiation levels had fallen afterwards.
Japan's nuclear safety agency rated the accident at four on the international scale of 0 to 7. The 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the
United States was rated five while the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was a seven.
Work to bring the situation under control was ongoing, to prevent cooling liquid from evaporating and exposing the fuel rods to the air, which could trigger a major radiation leak.
"We have decided to douse the (reactor) container with sea water in order to reduce risks as quickly as possible," Kan's top spokesman Yukio Edano told reporters.
Kyodo and Jiji reported before the explosion that the plant "may be experiencing nuclear meltdown", while NHK quoted the safety agency as saying metal tubes that contain uranium fuel may have melted.
SENDAI, Japan - An explosion at a Japanese nuclear plant triggered fears of a meltdown Saturday, after a massive earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,000 dead and at least 10,000 unaccounted for.
As workers doused the stricken reactor with sea water to try to avert catastrophe, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the chaos unleashed by Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake was an "unprecedented national disaster".
The quake, one of the biggest ever recorded, unleashed a terrifying 10-metre (33-foot) wave that tore through towns and cities on Japan's northeastern coast, destroying everything in its path.
In the small port town of Minamisanriku alone, some 10,000 people are unaccounted for -- more than half the population -- public broadcaster NHK reported.
Even as Japan struggled to assess the full extent of the devastation, the nation faced an atomic emergency as cooling systems damaged by the quake failed
at two nuclear reactors.
Smoke billowed from the Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant about 250 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo, after an explosion blew off the roof and walls
of the structure around the reactor.
Radiation leaked from the plant, but the government moved to calm fears of a meltdown, saying that the blast did not rupture the container surrounding the
reactor and that radiation levels had fallen afterwards.
Japan's nuclear safety agency rated the accident at four on the international scale of 0 to 7. The 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the
United States was rated five while the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was a seven.
Work to bring the situation under control was ongoing, to prevent cooling liquid from evaporating and exposing the fuel rods to the air, which could trigger a major radiation leak.
"We have decided to douse the (reactor) container with sea water in order to reduce risks as quickly as possible," Kan's top spokesman Yukio Edano told reporters.
Kyodo and Jiji reported before the explosion that the plant "may be experiencing nuclear meltdown", while NHK quoted the safety agency as saying metal tubes that contain uranium fuel may have melted.
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