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

People were evacuated within a 12-mile radius after an explosion at one of Japan's nuclear power plants.
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.

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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

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Authorities have said they were preparing to distribute iodine to people living near affected nuclear power plants.
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