March 14, 2011
Japan Faces Potential Nuclear Disaster as Radiation Levels Rise
By HIROKO TABUCHI, KEITH BRADSHER and MATTHEW L. WALD
This article is by Hiroko Tabuchi, Keith Bradsher and Matthew L. Wald.
TOKYO — Japan faced the likelihood of a catastrophic nuclear accident Tuesday morning, as an explosion at the most crippled of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station damaged its crucial steel containment structure, emergency workers were withdrawn from the plant, and a fire at a fourth reactor spewed large amounts of radioactive material into the air, according to official statements and industry executives informed about the developments.
“No. 4 is currently burning and we assume radiation is being released. We are trying to put out the fire and cool down the reactor,” the chief government spokesman, Yukio Edano, told a televised press conference. “There were no fuel rods in the reactor, but spent fuel rods are inside.”
Japan's nuclear safety watchdog later said that the fire at the No. 4 reactor had been extinguished, The Associated Press reported.
Government officials also said the containment structure of the No. 2 reactor had suffered damage during an explosion shortly after 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
They initially suggested that the damage was limited and that emergency operations aimed at cooling the nuclear fuel at three stricken reactors with seawater would continue. But industry executives said that in fact the situation had spiraled out of control and that all plant workers needed to leave the plant to avoid excessive exposure to radioactive leaks.
If all workers do in fact leave the plant, the nuclear fuel in all three reactors is likely to melt down, which would lead to wholesale releases of radioactive material — by far the largest accident of its kind since the Chernobyl disaster 25 years ago.
Reports of an imminent worsening of the problem came after a frantic day and night of rescue efforts focused largely on the No. 2 reactor. There, a malfunctioning valve prevented workers from manually venting the containment vessel to release pressure and allow fresh seawater to be injected into it. That meant that the extraordinary remedy emergency workers have been using to keep the nuclear fuel from overheating no longer worked.
As a result, the nuclear fuel in that reactor was exposed for many hours, increasing the risk of a breach of the container vessel and a more dangerous emissions of radioactive particles.
By Tuesday morning, the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power, said it had fixed the valve and resumed seawater injections, but that they had detected possible leaks in the containment vessel that prevented water from fully covering the fuel rods.
Then the explosion hit the same reactor. The operator initially reported that the blast may have damaged the bottom part of the container vessel, but later said radiation levels had not risen high enough to suggest a major escalation of the problem. While they did not immediately provide a detailed account of what happened at the reactor, government and company officials initially ruled out a serious breach that could lead to massive radioactive leaks or a full meltdown of the nuclear fuel.
Even if a full meltdown is averted, Japanese officials have been facing unpalatable options. One was to continue flooding the reactors and venting the resulting steam, while hoping that the prevailing winds, which have headed across the Pacific, did not turn south toward Tokyo or west, across northern Japan to the Korean Peninsula. The other was to hope that the worst of the overheating was over, and that with the passage of a few more days the nuclear cores would cool enough to essentially entomb the radioactivity inside the plants, which clearly will never be used again. Both approaches carried huge risks.
While Japanese officials made no comparisons to past accidents, the release of an unknown quantity of radioactive gases and particles — all signs that the reactor cores were damaged from at least partial melting of fuel — added considerable tension to the effort to cool the reactors.
“It’s way past Three Mile Island already,” said Frank von Hippel, a physicist and professor at Princeton. “The biggest risk now is that the core really melts down and you have a steam explosion.”
Hiroko Tabuchi reported from Tokyo, Keith Bradsher from Hong Kong and Matthew L. Wald from Washington.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
[HD] HUGE WHIRLPOOL hits Japan after 8.9 Earthquake - BBC NEWS
UPDATE 9 hours ago - the death toll stands at more than 1700 with fears of 10000 missing. 5.1 million homes left without power after nuclear plants shut down across the mainland. One reactor had an explosion, but scientists say the reactor was undamaged and still holding 1000 times the normal radiation level at a N power plant
Thousands undergo radioactive screening after explosion in nuclear power station
- Three workers treated for radiation sickness after explosion in reactor building
- Authorities evacuate thousands of people from 12-mile radius of plant
- People offered iodine to help protect against radiation exposure
- Plant's cooling systems damaged by powerful earthquake
The building housing one of Fukushima Dai-ichi's reactors was destroyed in the blast and a cloud of white smoke could be seen pouring from it.
Four workers suffered fractures in the explosion, and three were treated for the symptoms of radiation sickness.
Meltdown fears: An explosion destroyed the walls and roof of a building at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant
Radiation: Levels around the plant have already reached 20 times normal and there were fears the reactor could meltdown
The Japanese government said the metal container sheltering the nuclear reactor was not damaged by the explosion.
Spokesman Yukio Edano said the radiation around the plant had begun to decrease and that pressure inside the reactor was also going down.
The plant's cooling system had been damaged after the 9-magnitude earthquake struck yesterday and there were fears it could go into meltdown.
Pressure had been building up inside the reactor - up to twice the normal level - and Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency was venting 'radioactive vapours' to relieve the pressure.
Footage on Japanese TV showed that the walls of the building had completely collapsed, leaving only a skeletal metal frame standing.
Checks: Officials carry out radiation tests on children who were evacuated from the area near Fukushima
Evacuation: Police wearing protective clothing head towards the Fukushima power plant after an explosion this morning
Exclusion zone: Thousands of people were evacuated from an area 12 miles around the damaged plant
Iodine can be used to help protect the body from radioactive exposure.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed of the explosion and that it was 'assessing the condition of the reactor core'.
The exclusion zone around the Fukushima plant was originally set at six miles, but was expanded on expert advice.
Five nuclear reactors at two power plants are being monitored after the units lost cooling ability because of earthquake damage.
A meltdown is a serious collapse of a nuclear power plant's systems and its ability to manage temperatures.
Yaroslav Shtrombakh, a Russian nuclear expert, said a Chernobyl-style meltdown was unlikely.
He said: 'It's not a fast reaction like at Chernobyl. I think that everything will be contained within the grounds, and there will be no big catastrophe.'
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365536/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Thousands-undergo-radioactive-screening-explosion.html#ixzz1GPAZxzl7
By Wil Longbottom
Last updated at 4:11 PM on 12th March 2011
More than 1700 likely dead in Japan quake, tsunami
TOKYO - More than 1,700 people are likely dead or missing following a massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday. Later it said 9,500 people in one town were unreachable, but gave no other details.
About 300,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and that number is likely to rise with the government increasing the size of an evacuation area around two nuclear power plants in Fukushima in northern Japan, Kyodo said. An aftershock with a preliminary magnitude of 6 hit Fukushima on Saturday night, public broadcaster NHK said.
RELATED:
Widespread tsunami warning issued after Japan quake
Gallery: 8.9-magnitude earthquake hits Japan
Factbox: The history of earthquakes in Japan
Strong quake hits N. Japan, tsunami warning issued
Police accounts put the death toll at 637 and those missing at 653, but the total number is likely to be much bigger as 200-300 dead bodies were being transported in the city of Sendai and another 200 were being taken to gyms in other parts of Miyagi prefecture, Kyodo said.
Earlier, Japan warned of a meltdown at the nuclear reactor damaged after the quake, but said the risk of radiation contamination was small.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry announced that it has not heard from 20 Israelis in Japan following the earthquake.
The ministry stressed that it may be difficult for the Israelis to contact their families because of the collapse of communications networks in Japan due to the quake.
Foreign Ministry officials have also issued a travel warning to Israelis residing in Japan and other countries in the Pacific to stay away from areas close to the shore and obey instructions from local authorities.
The unfolding disaster in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10-meter (33-feet) high tsunami prompted offers of help from dozens of countries.
Stunning TV footage showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, home to one million people and which lies 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbour wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side.
Boats, cars and trucks were tossed around like toys in the water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan. An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed and cars were turning around and speeding away.
Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to "save the country," Kyodo news agency reported. Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinised by financial markets.
Domestic media said the death toll was expected to reach the thousands, with most deaths by drowning.
The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly.
Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific but were later lifted for some of the most populated countries in the region, including Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand.
Even in a nation accustomed to earthquakes, the devastation was shocking.
"A big area of Sendai city near the coast, is flooded. We are hearing that people who were evacuated are stranded," said Rie Sugimoto, a reporter for NHK television in Sendai.
"About 140 people, including children, were rushed to an elementary school and are on the rooftop but they are surrounded by water and have nowhere else to go."
Japan has prided itself on its speedy tsunami warning system, which has been upgraded several times since its inception in 1952, including after a 7.8 magnitude quake triggered a 30-metre high wave before a warning was given.
The country has also built countless breakwaters and floodgates to protect ports and coastal areas, although experts said they might not have been enough to prevent disasters such as what happened on Friday.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told people to stay in safe places as the cold deepened into the night. "Please help each other and act calmly," he told a news conference.
In Tokyo, residents who had earlier fled swaying buildings jammed the streets trying to make their way home after much of the city's public transportation was halted.
Many subways in Tokyo later resumed operation but trains did not run. People who decided not to walk home slept in office buildings.
"I was unable stay on my feet because of the violent shaking. The aftershocks gave us no reprieve. Then the tsunamis came when we tried to run for cover. It was the strongest quake I experienced," a woman with a baby on her back told television in northern Japan.
The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast, Kyodo said.
Other Japanese nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and one refinery was ablaze. Television footage showed an intense fire in the waterfront area near Sendai.
By REUTERS AND JPOST.COM STAFF
03/12/2011 16:48
About 300,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and that number is likely to rise with the government increasing the size of an evacuation area around two nuclear power plants in Fukushima in northern Japan, Kyodo said. An aftershock with a preliminary magnitude of 6 hit Fukushima on Saturday night, public broadcaster NHK said.
RELATED:
Widespread tsunami warning issued after Japan quake
Gallery: 8.9-magnitude earthquake hits Japan
Factbox: The history of earthquakes in Japan
Strong quake hits N. Japan, tsunami warning issued
Police accounts put the death toll at 637 and those missing at 653, but the total number is likely to be much bigger as 200-300 dead bodies were being transported in the city of Sendai and another 200 were being taken to gyms in other parts of Miyagi prefecture, Kyodo said.
Earlier, Japan warned of a meltdown at the nuclear reactor damaged after the quake, but said the risk of radiation contamination was small.
The ministry stressed that it may be difficult for the Israelis to contact their families because of the collapse of communications networks in Japan due to the quake.
Foreign Ministry officials have also issued a travel warning to Israelis residing in Japan and other countries in the Pacific to stay away from areas close to the shore and obey instructions from local authorities.
The unfolding disaster in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10-meter (33-feet) high tsunami prompted offers of help from dozens of countries.
Stunning TV footage showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, home to one million people and which lies 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbour wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side.
Boats, cars and trucks were tossed around like toys in the water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan. An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed and cars were turning around and speeding away.
Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to "save the country," Kyodo news agency reported. Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinised by financial markets.
Domestic media said the death toll was expected to reach the thousands, with most deaths by drowning.
The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly.
Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific but were later lifted for some of the most populated countries in the region, including Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand.
Even in a nation accustomed to earthquakes, the devastation was shocking.
"A big area of Sendai city near the coast, is flooded. We are hearing that people who were evacuated are stranded," said Rie Sugimoto, a reporter for NHK television in Sendai.
"About 140 people, including children, were rushed to an elementary school and are on the rooftop but they are surrounded by water and have nowhere else to go."
Japan has prided itself on its speedy tsunami warning system, which has been upgraded several times since its inception in 1952, including after a 7.8 magnitude quake triggered a 30-metre high wave before a warning was given.
The country has also built countless breakwaters and floodgates to protect ports and coastal areas, although experts said they might not have been enough to prevent disasters such as what happened on Friday.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told people to stay in safe places as the cold deepened into the night. "Please help each other and act calmly," he told a news conference.
In Tokyo, residents who had earlier fled swaying buildings jammed the streets trying to make their way home after much of the city's public transportation was halted.
Many subways in Tokyo later resumed operation but trains did not run. People who decided not to walk home slept in office buildings.
"I was unable stay on my feet because of the violent shaking. The aftershocks gave us no reprieve. Then the tsunamis came when we tried to run for cover. It was the strongest quake I experienced," a woman with a baby on her back told television in northern Japan.
The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast, Kyodo said.
Other Japanese nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and one refinery was ablaze. Television footage showed an intense fire in the waterfront area near Sendai.
By REUTERS AND JPOST.COM STAFF
03/12/2011 16:48
Friday, March 11, 2011
Strong 8.9 earthquake rocks Japan, tsunami hits North East
A large tsunami is sweeping through north-eastern Japan, following an earthquake thought to have been 8.9 on the Richter Scale. The first wave has also reached Russia's Kuril islands to the north, reportedly around a metre high. 11-thousand people are being evacuated from the area. In northern Japan, water is surging inland in Sed-ay, some 350km north of Tokyo. There's considerable damage and many casualties - although numbers can't be confirmed because communications are badly-affected. Several people are missing. The lower floors of buildings on Honshu island are being flooded and cars overturned. A bridge has also collapsed. Tokyo's Norita International Airport has also closed. The quake's epicenter was located 130 kilometres off Japan's Pacific coast. A tsunami warning's now in place across the entire Pacific region.
Japan Hit by Tsunami
A powerful earthquake has struck off Japan's north-eastern coast, shaking buildings in Tokyo and forcing people out of their homes. Japan issued its most serious tsunami warning, saying a wave as high as 20 ft could strike the coast near Miyagi prefecture.The massive 8.8 magnitude quake struck about 382 kilometers northeast of Tokyo.
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