Japan official: Meltdown at nuclear plant possible

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The Associated Press

SENDAI, Japan — A nuclear power plant affected by a massive earthquake is facing a possible meltdown, an official with Japan's nuclear safety commission said Saturday.

Ryohei Shiomi said that officials were checking whether a meltdown had taken place at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant's Unit 1, which had lost cooling ability in the aftermath of Friday's powerful earthquake.

Shiomi said that even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect humans beyond a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius.

Most of the 51,000 residents living within that radius have been evacuated, he said.

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/japan-official-meltdown-at-869316.html

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Oh my God.

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Oh my God.

Shiomi said that even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect humans beyond a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius.

Most of the 51,000 residents living within that radius have been evacuated, he said.

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Al-Jazeera:

The quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 plant "may be experiencing nuclear meltdown," but the country's nuclear safety commission said that the meltdown as a possibility at this point.

Steam containing low-level radiation were released to relieve pressure and tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from surrounding areas.

...

Naoto Sekimura, a professor at the University of Tokyo, said a major radioactive disaster was unlikely.

"No Chernobyl is possible at a light water reactor. Loss of coolant means a temperature rise, but it also will stop the

reaction," he said.

"Even in the worst-case scenario, that would mean some radioactive leakage and equipment damage, but not an explosion. If venting is done carefully, there will be little leakage."

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Kyodo News:

URGENT: Concerns of core partially melting at Fukushima nuke plant

TOKYO, March 12, Kyodo

The core at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant's No. 1 reactor may be partially melting, the nuclear safety agency said Saturday.

Radioactive substance cesium was detected around the reactor, it said.

Kyodo News:

URGENT: Cooling system fails at Fukushima No. 2 plant

TOKYO, March 12, Kyodo

The cooling system failed at three reactors of the quake-hit Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant Saturday, the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.

The company, which has already scrambled to deal with radiation leaks at its Fukushima No. 1 plant, notified the industry ministry that the failsafe system at the No. 2 plant stopped functioning as the temperature of coolant water has topped 100 C.

Edited March 12, 2011 by \

[Amby 490]

Everything happening over there is crazy. The videos of the quake happening, and then the photos and videos of the aftermath is just incredible. A friend of mine is a geology prof at a university. She posted the seismograph taken at the seismic station at her university thousands of miles from the quake and it was "off the charts". I really have no clue about stuff like that, but apparently it's pretty impressive that it was "off the charts" from that far away.

Shiomi said that even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect humans beyond a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius.

Most of the 51,000 residents living within that radius have been evacuated, he said.

I think I've lost my mind. I read Steve's reply and then I read your reply to his reply. Then I lol'd for real but it was an evil laugh, not my normal one.

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Kyodo breaking headlines (no content):

* BREAKING NEWS: Pressure successfully released from Fukushima No. 1 reactor: agency (15:31)

* NEWS ADVISORY: Kan asks opposition chiefs to cooperate in quake-related budget (15:24)

* NEWS ADVISORY: Kan does not rule out possible radiation leak from Fukushima No 2. (15:23)

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Explosion reported by NBC

[caly 48]

Channel News Asia:

Blast heard in Japan nuclear plant

Posted: 12 March 2011 1631 hrs

An aerial view of the quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant in the Japanese town of Futaba, Fukushima prefecture.

TOKYO: An explosion was heard Saturday from a quake-hit Japanese nuclear plant hours after Japanese officials reportedly warned the atomic plant Fukushima No. 1, about 250 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo, "may be experiencing a nuclear meltdown".

Kyodo News agency said radioactive caesium had been detected near Fukushima plant, citing the Japanese nuclear safety commission.

An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan on Friday leaving more than 700 dead.

Public broadcaster NHK Saturday reported that a blast had been heard at about 3:30 pm (2.30pm Singapore time, 0630 GMT) and showed delayed footage of smoke billowing from the site, also reporting that the reactor building had been destroyed.

The earthquake damaged the facility's cooling system, prompting the government to evacuate more than 45,000 residents within a 10-kilometre (six-mile) radius.

Thirty-two-year-old Malaysian-born Eddie Khoo Ee Lek, who works in Aichi, told Channel NewsAsia witnesses featured on Japanese news channel CBC described the smoke as brown.

Mr Khoo added that Japanese TV reported four people were injured in the blast.

TV channels warned nearby residents to stay indoors, turn off air-conditioners and not to drink tap water.

People going outside were also told to aviod exposing their skin and to cover their faces with masks and wet towels.

-AFP/CNA/wk