Japan goes Critical 09:47 Mar 13 2011
Times Read: 765
Breaking news...It just gets worse...
A second explosion could take place at a nuclear power plant in quake-hit Japan, amid fears of a meltdown after the evacuation of 200,000 people
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano warned of a hydrogen blast at the Fukushima plant's reactor three, but insisted it could withstand it as reactor one did on Saturday.
The first explosion destroyed the building housing the reactor, but did not prompt a major radiation leak.
Operators have also been attempting to prevent meltdown of another unit by injecting sea water into it, but problems with reactor three's cooling systems have persisted.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it was preparing to release some steam to relieve pressure in the reactor at the plant - 150 miles (241km) north of Tokyo.
This plan would release a small amount of radiation
Breaking News9:31am UK, Sunday March 13, 2011
Second Explosion Fears At Japan Nuclear Plant
Share CommentsA second explosion could take place at a nuclear power plant in quake-hit Japan, amid fears of a meltdown and after the evacuation of 200,000 people.
"We can stabilise the reactor if we take the air out and pump water in the vessel properly," Japan's chief cabinet minister Yukio Edano said.
"And as I have mentioned in the past, this will be a controlled release, and in the air will contain radio active substance.
"However this will not affect the health of humans, and we will do this in order to stabilise the reactor in a controlled manner."
The government has insisted radiation levels are low following Saturday's explosion, saying the blast had not affected the reactor core container.
Nine people have showed signs of possible exposure to radiation at the Fukushima plant.
And officials from the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told a news conference that up to 160 people may have suffered radiation exposure.
A 12-mile (19km) radius has been imposed on the Fukushima Daiichi plant with an estimated 170,000 people already being evacuated.
Sky News' Holly Williams, in Fukushima, said: "The experts I'm speaking to say that at the moment, as long as people are evacuated from the area, there is very little risk to humans.
"But they say the big risk here is fire. If either of these reactors caught fire, that would spread that radiation over a much larger area, which is obviously the concern of Japanese authorities at this moment."
A six-mile exclusion zone is also in place around the nearby Fukushima Daini station, with an estimated 30,000 people told to vacate the area.
BLOODYHELL!
COMMENTS
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PAGAN
13:39 Mar 16 2011
People who persevere despite obstacles have my admiration every time.
You are/were somebody's light in the darkness I think and it's a matter of you being able to be that while keeping yourself, you at the same time.
Everybody needs a Theban.
Theban
13:52 Mar 16 2011
Thank you Pagan, I feel all warm : )
PAGAN
16:09 Mar 16 2011
ooh well change yer pants then you've wee'd again :P
Theban
19:24 Mar 16 2011
Lol how did you know?